Warriors: COTNF  Book 1: Budding Moon
by ToxicStudios
Summary: Book 1  Budding Moon  of my fan book series of Warrior Cats, The Cycle of the Night Flower. As of now, all original characters. Rating is an estimate.
1. Prologue

COPYRIGHT:  
>I do not own Warrior Cats. The document is intended for fan use only and not for sale.<br>No Copyright infringement intended.

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<p>

Prologue

A silver-tipped ear twitched and swiveled towards the sound of a rustling in the brush not far away. An icy-blue eye blinked open in the darkness and the distant rustling stopped immediately. The lean, black creature rose to her paws and held her little pink nose in the air, her mouth open as she inhaled the scent around her. The warm bodies of other cats lay curled up around her, but the sounds of their calm sleeping weren't what awoke her.

"You're in our territory," came the calm, gruff voice as a stout tabby with wiry fur stepped out of the bushes.

"I'm aware," replied the ebony she-cat calmly. She could hear the stirrings of a few of her companions. "But we come in peace. We need your help." The old tom's amber eyes narrowed back at her.

"You assume we will help you?"

"The Clans are the only ones I know to turn too," she meowed, flattening her silver-tipped ears against her head. She sniffed the air again. A strong, powerful scent ebbed from the cat with multi-markings. She could tell by the way he moved and presented himself that he was noble and held a position of power, obviously either a leader or deputy.

"I do not know if ThunderClan will be able to help all of you," he said, tilting his head to the side as he glanced over the throng of cats that were huddled together around the black she-cat.

"Isn't that for your leader to decide?" she bit back, her whiskers twitching as she challenged him. The tabby seemed to stand back for a moment before nodding.

"Very well. If you are no threat," he sighed. The she-cat exhaled loudly in relief and was about to take a step forward when the old tom's voice stopped her. "No. You and your friends will wait here until a large patrol can guide you back to our camp. We can't be too cautious," he meowed before leaping back into the brush. Having been given no time to respond, she held back a hiss of frustration and flattened her ears against the back of her head before lowering herself down into the pile of warm bodies, disappearing into the sea of pelts.


	2. Chapter 1

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 1

The black she-cat's ice-blue eyes shot open upon being prodded sharply. She let out a soft hiss, her eyes flashing wide to see the sight of a large white paw in her face.

"Get up," meowed the owner of the paw. The cat pulled his front paw back to his chest, green eyes gazing over her pelt as he stood above her. Around her, the she-cat could already hear the rustling of her companions as they were poked awake by similar welcomes. The cat who jousted her into the world of the conscious had a pelt the color of flame, except for his paws which were dotted like snow. The black cat let the smells and sights flood her senses, registering a large number of new scents immediately. Blinking her eyes, she pawed at them repeatedly until finally looking out over the mass of cats weaving through the trees around them.

"Well don't just stand there!" scoffed the orange tom as he nudged her to her feet. "Get your pals up and moving." He flicked his ear sharply and shrugged past her to another cat. She shot an icy stare at the back of his head before turning to the cats nestled closest to her own body. By now, they were awake. A black tom was pushing himself to his paws next to her, unwrapping his feathered-tail from around himself as he did. Tabby markings could barely be seen clinging to his lean frame against his already ebony fur.

"Are these the cats you told us about?" he asked, his green eyes gleaming in the morning light.

"Yes," she replied. "Finding them was easier than I thought."

"Don't jinx anything," came a soft meow as a cat the color of cream cheese wove his way around the bodies of a few other cats before stopping in front of them. "They might not take us in."

"Positive thinking," scoffed black tom. The ebony she-cat's nose twitched as she held back a giggle at her friends. That's when a brown tabby lurched over a fallen branch just out of their vision and bounded into view. His muscles stretched under his pelt as he rushed up next to the she-cat, almost stepping on her silver-tipped tail as he skidded to a stop.

"I think they're about ready to head to camp," he meowed urgently.

"But some of us are hardly awake!" she growled, flattening her ears.

"Well it is their territory..." the black tabby pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Whatever. Just make sure everyone's up!" she insisted and pushed her way out of her nest of friends. Her nose carried her straight to a familiar old tabby tom cat, the one with the crooked tail.

"Are we about to leave?" she asked, raising a paw up as she blinked at him.

"Yes. Hurry and gather your friends. And our warriors have you flanked at every angle. So don't try anything funny," he replied in his gruff meow, his auburn eyes narrowing. Now in the daylight, the she-cat caught a fairer glimpse of the old tom. His muzzle and flanks were torn up with battle scars and his ears were missing a few chips here and there. She rolled her eyes at him and bounded back, having every intention of meeting back up with her friends, but almost immediately she was cut off by a fiery pelt placing itself right in front of her path. Her paws skidded to a stop and she let out a hiss as the soft dirt laced around her toes, her pelt barely brushing the tips of the hairs of the cat in front of her.

"What?" she shot at him, a bit too harshly. It was the cat who had woken her.

"You'll be walking with me," he explained with something of a smirk covering his muzzle. "Twistedtail ordered me to keep an eye on you since you seem to be the leader of this lot of rouges!" Immediately, her ears swiveled backwards and she bared her teeth, but then pulled her lips back down. They weren't rogues, but there was no point in starting a fuss with the cats helping you right? Of course, she had no idea how these cats came to that conclusion. Her? Leader?

"Twistedtail?" she repeated in hopes of hiding her frustrations. The flame-colored tomcat flicked a feathered ear towards the old tabby tom with the broken tail that was weaving his way out of the sight through the trees just ahead. "He's our deputy," he explained. Ha! She knew it! "And I'm Flamefoot," the warrior went on. At this, the she-cat rolled her shoulders boredly.

"Lovely," she murmured nonchalantly.

"And you are?" he shot back, flicking her little pink nose with the tip of his tail. She wiggled it, cross-eyed, and dabbed at it with her paw a couple times.

"I...uh...don't really know," she stammered as she started taking her first steps out of the clearing and in the direction of the other cats, Flamefoot flanking her right with quick and agile steps. She felt a little embarrassed to say it, but that was how it had been with all of her friends since they had woke up in this forest a few days ago. They all knew they knew each other and they all knew they were close friends, but every time one of them opened their muzzles to say one of their names, it was like they couldn't remember. They couldn't even remember their own names! Flamefoot shot her a cynical look, furrowing the hair above one of his brilliant green eyes.

"That's interesting..." he snickered under his breath. She was no longer paying attention to him. Now she was checking up on her friends out of the corner of her eyes. A large ginger tom wasn't far behind her, a well-groomed, dark silver she-cat with long whiskers by his side. Not far away either was the black tabby and the other fluffy, brown tabby who had told her Twistedtail was leaving. Another small tom was by his side, a lighter shade of brown with bark-colored markings. On that tom's other side was yet another tabby, but he was much smaller and of a much darker tone. Towards the back of the group was the cream-colored tom, supporting the weight of an older, raggedy-looking, brown cat with confusing reptile-like markings. Another cream cat, a she-cat, was on his other side, but her paws were dipped in white. A white and brown she-cat was helping as well, not a couple pawsteps away. On the cream tom's other flank was a tall, lean cat with fur the color of rose-faded sand and a tail that was as bright as a fox's.

Somewhere in the middle of the mass was a cluster of cats comprised of a silver speckled tom and another tom who was gray and white with black tabby markings. A white she-cat with ears, paws, and a tail dipped in orange, and a brown-and-red splotched tom padded side by side not far away. Not far from them was a white tom with streaks of gray cascading down his back and flowing over his face. Another white tom was beside him but his face, ears, tail, and paws were dipped in the color of marigolds. Everyone seemed accounted for. Her ears swiveled as she looked around and noticed the mass of cats that carried the scent of the forest on their pelts flanked all of them in a big circle.

"Don't worry," meowed Flamefoot suddenly. For a minute, the black she-cat had forgotten he was there. "We ThunderClan cats don't bite unless you give us a reason too!" Again, she rolled her eyes.

One by one, the cats filed in through the briar entrance that led into the rock clearing which was flourished with scents of the forest and dozens of cat scents. This process seemed to take forever and between the cats already here and the cats coming in, the clearing quickly became just short of crowded. A large stone was centered in the middle of the clearing and a white and bark-colored she-cat sat atop it, giving her just enough height over all the cats in the clearing.

"These are the cats you were talking about, Twistedtail?" she meowed, flicking an ear slightly in surprise as she looked at the old tabby who stepped forward out of the mass of cats. "There's even more than you mentioned."

"My apologies, Hollowstar," he meowed softly with a polite nod. The one called Hollowstar rose a regal head and looked out over the throng of felines.

"Will your leader please step forward?" she asked calmly. The black she-cat had every intention of staying put, but a nudge from behind from a certain white-footed, flame-pelted tom thrust her forward and her ears flattened shyly. Hollowstar blinked for a moment before dropping her amber gaze on the ebony she-cat. "How are your cats?" she asked. The young black cat could tell the leader had almost said 'warriors' out of habit instead of 'cats'.

"Fine," she replied with surprising steadiness to her voice. "We have a couple thorns in our pads, a couple scratches, and some tiredness. But we're fine. Thank you." She bowed her head politely, even lower than was necessary probably, and her ears burned with embarrassment when she noticed her friends not doing the same. Holding back a hiss, she gulped instead, but what was she going to do? They didn't understand Clan life.

"Our medicine cat will tend to your wounded," Hollowstar mewed, ushering to a white she-cat stepping out of a tunnel in the back of the clearing. The medicine cat's pelt was as pure as snow except for a tail splotched with shades of orange, brown, and black. "Now, what is it that you are in need of?" It was such a bold answer that she knew she was going to have to give that she tensed up her entire body.

"A place to stay and rest our paws," she replied. At once, meows arose throughout the clearing from Clan cats. Most of them were gasps of disbelief and then others were scowls of hatred. She knew this hadn't been a good idea. Looking up at Hollowstar, the leader's ears were perked and her eyes only slightly wider than usual.

"A bold request," she meowed softly, her tail flicking back and forth absentmindedly.

"I know," the black she-cat meowed, lowering her head even further. "But we have nowhere else to go and I don't know who else to turn to. We've woken up suddenly in a world in which we're not familiar and I've heard stories of the warrior cat Clans. It's the only option we have." She kept her blue gaze down. She didn't need it to realize the piercing stares she was receiving from ThunderClan cats.

"That's quite an interesting story..." Hollowstar murmured. Ha! She didn't know the half of it... "I'm more than inclined to listen." The silver-muzzled she-cat rose and looked at the ThunderClan leader.

"It's a long story, Hollowstar," she sighed. "Frankly, not one I'm willing to share with so many ears." For a moment, the leader's own ears flattened a little, but then they returned to normal.

"Very well," she nodded. "We will speak in my den." Her lean body leapt down from the rock where she landed in front of her black, non-Clan visitor.

"Wait, Hollowstar!" came a sudden yowl as a light brown tabby shrugged his way into view from the mass of his Clanmates. A sharp, broken front tooth shimmered as he talked. "Can you really trust a mangy rogue alone with you?" The black she-cat held back a hiss. How many times was she going to be called that today? Luckily, the ThunderClan leader came to her defense.

"Calm yourself, Jaggedtooth," Hollowstar meowed with a flick of her tail. "If they've traveled as far as they say, then she will be far too tired to attack a healthy cat like me." Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at the black she-cat. "I'm sure..." she cut herself off. "What is your name again?" she asked. Once again, the black she-cat felt lower than a mouse.

"I...don't have one..." she whispered. This time, the leader blinked repeatedly in surprise. A long strand of silence enveloped the clearing and the black she-cat could feel dozens of gazes burning into her fur. "Come then," Hollowstar finally meowed and turned, weaving into a rocky crevice just ahead. Quickly, the ebony cat bounded after her.

"Think she'll be safe in there?" murmured the cream-colored tom cat as he weaved his lean body through the mass of cats, pushing his way up to his black tabby-marked friend. He flicked his wisp of a tail and wrapped it calmly around his paws as he addressed the lighter-colored cat.

"She knows more about these cats than us," he pointed out. "She knows what she's doing." Just to his flank, the muscular tabby could be seen sheathing and unsheathing his claws repeatedly, the fur along his spine bristling. The large, ginger-pelted tom was making his way through the throng of cats towards them, leaving his place next to the dark-silver she-cat he had been with constantly until now. He took a seat next to the black tabby and opened his muzzle to speak but was cut off as a blur of dark colors swept in front of the cats' vision, appearing as a pair of she-cats that wove up next to them. Both were short and lean, one the color of the night sky with pale green eyes and the other the shade of soot with eyes like marigold.

"Welcome to our camp," meowed the gray one. "I'm Mouseear, and this is Ghosttail," she added, pointing to her friend with her tail. Ghosttail nodded good-naturedly.

"We hope that some of the other warriors didn't make you nervous," she meowed. The large ginger tom and the black tabby exchanged a glance. They could tell these were young cats, albeit kind. "What are your names?" The cream-colored tom flattened his ears and shot his gaze downwards, suddenly interested in his paws.

He shuffled them nervously as he mewed, "We...can't remember..." His friends confirmed his words with a nod or a flick of an ear. Ghosttail and Mouseear seemed to take a step backwards. They blinked a couple times and Mouseear lifted a paw curiously.

"Wow! Really? That's weird!" she giggled. She stuck her nose out about a mouse-length from the ginger tom's nose. He blinked repeatedly, a bit taken back.

"Er..."

"You look like a lion!" she mewed, flicking her tail before averting her gaze to the black tabby at his side. "And you look like a shadow!" Ghosttail chuckled at her friend. "Hey! Can I call you guys that? Lion and Shadow?" The ginger tom took a step back, holding a massive paw up between him and the she-cat.

"I...really don't care..."

"No," the black tabby mewed abruptly and flicked an ear carelessly but Mouseear was already padding away.

"She'll call you that anyway," Ghosttail grinned before following her friend casually.

"She's right about one thing though..." the small, pale tom meowed. "We need names."

"I know!" growled the muscular tabby as he padded up them, his claws out of their sheathes. "I'm tired of being called 'that tabby'!" Just as those words left his muzzle, their lean, black she-cat friend wove her way out of the crevice her and Hollowstar had entered earlier. The leader left the den right behind her, but the white-and-bark-colored she-cat padded over to another group of Clan cats and sat down to talk while the black cat bounded over to them.

"I've got the okay for us to stay!" she meowed brightly. "With some exceptions of course. We've got to stay out here in the clearing, not the warrior's den, and we'll have to hunt with them. They won't just feed us."

"Sounds fair," the ginger tom meowed.

"Oh, and we need names," she added, her whiskers twitching. The small tom and the fluffy tabby gave each other looks.

"Maybe we should come up with Clan names!" came the bright meow of a tom from behind them. The group turned to see their friend, the tom that was white except for the gray circles around his eyes, his paws, and the stripes down his back. "They have really interesting names! And maybe it'll help us fit in more!" The black she-cat shot him a look and then gazed at the others.

"Sounds good to me..." She looked at the others for approval and they all seemed to shrug or cast their glance away. Her eyes scanned out over her group of cats. "Okay, tell the others," she meowed to the white and silver tom.

"Sure," he nodded. "And I already came up with mine... Well, Foxface did."

"Foxface?" repeated the ginger tom, tilting his head.

"That cat over there," the white tom replied, pointing to a dark, rusty-colored cat across the clearing with a muddled red face. "He suggested Icestripe and I like it!" he meowed with a grin.

"Okay then!" the black she-cat purred as Icestripe bounded off.

"Some other warriors were just over here saying that they looked like a lion and a shadow..." the pale tom chuckled, ushering to his friends. The two toms rolled their eyes and the she-cat smirked before looking at the small cream cat.

"How's your dad and sister?" He blinked a couple times before turning and racing off across the clearing but quickly disappeared in the throng of pelts, apparently suddenly racked with an important memory.

"It appears Hollowstar is going to let you stay with us..." came the gruff meow from behind. The black she-cat turned to see Twistedtail giving her a stern stare. "Very well. But you'll need names."

"We know. We're coming up with Clan names for ourselves," she replied to which she was responded to with a furrowed glance and suddenly she felt like an intruder. "But we're not going to get ceremonies or anything..." she quickly added.

"Well..." the deputy grunted, flicking his ear. "I'm sending out a hunting patrol. Select the fittest of your cats to accompany us. We'll need food for us all." The ebony cat lowered her head as the old, dark tabby padded away. ...So... who to take? She would go definitely. Her arrow-shaped head looked out over her cats which were, by now, scattered so as to speak with Clan cats, but they were still relatively in the center of the clearing together. She glanced over at Icestripe and rolled her eyes. He was way too busy gossiping. Her eyes fell on the cream tom in the corner of the clearing. He and his sister, the cream she-cat with white paws, both looked busy. Their rustled brown father was in no condition either and the white-and-brown she-cat next to them seemed a bit busy worrying herself. So they weren't an option.

"Hey, I like your fur," came the smooth meow not far behind her silver-tipped ear. She pivoted to see her red-tailed friend scooting closer to a small, smoky she-cat with white dots along her forehead. She rolled her eyes and strutted over.

"Hey, Casanova!" she growled, lashing her tail. "If you're well enough to flirt, then you're well enough to go hunting!" He glanced up at her and flicked his tail, turning his head indignantly.

"What? You're kidding?"

"Nope. Let's go!" she meowed, calling him over with her tail. "Oh, and be thinking of a name for yourself."

"Call him Blazetail," meowed the little she-cat with the spotted forehead. "Because he's smokin'!" Her whiskers twitched in amusement as she got to her paws and began to walk away, drawing her white-tipped tail underneath the rosy tom's soft chin. "I'm Ashpaw, by the way," she grinned and bounded off. The ebony she-cat blinked her blue eyes in disbelief. She was only an apprentice!

"Blazetail... I like it!" he chortled. She rolled her eyes and glanced at his long, fiery colored tail. At least it fit...

"Fine, Blazetail," she hissed, putting emphasis on his new name. "Let's go." Her gaze scanned the clearing as she shouldered between the cats. Almost immediately, the fluffy tabby pushed his way to her flank. His muzzle brushed against hers for a split second before she backed herself away.

"Busy?"

"Twistedtail said the fittest of us have to go hunting with a patrol," she replied with an uncomfortable smile on her muzzle.

"I'll go then," he said, draping his striped tail over her shoulder. She felt herself shiver but then blinked quickly as a rush of darkness swept in front of her, only for her to realize it was her dark-pelted tabby friend, giving her an excuse to pull back from the fluffy tabby next to her.

"If you need hunters..." he trailed off, flicking a lazy ear.

"Okay, come on _Shadow_," she giggled with a teasing glance.

By the time she reached the bramble-padded entrance to the camp, she had gathered Blazetail, the large tabby, "Shadow", the red-and-brown splotched tom, the lean gray tom with black specks, and the white and gray tom with black tabby markings. Meeting them at the entrance was the dark tabby tom with the broken front tooth - Jaggedtooth, a pale yellow she-cat that stood tall but was missing most of her tail, Mouseear, and a smooth-pelted silver tom with a sheen to his fur.

"I'm Dawnstorm," meowed the pale she-cat without the tail. Her voice was tired and calm, leading the others to believe she was on her way to the elder's den.

"This is Silverpaw," grumbled Jaggedtooth, ushering to the silver tom. "Our leader's apprentice." The ebony she-cat blinked her icy eyes and gazed at Silverpaw. To be a leader's apprentice...? That was special. She could also tell he was every bit as tall as she was, and the muscles beneath his pelt stood out in all the right places, making him look like quite a warrior.

"Ready to get going?" Mouseear mewed, flanking "Shadow" as she touched his shoulders with her tail. He shrugged it off and flicked an ear. Rolling her eyes, the black she-cat looked ahead and the Clan cats and nodded before they scrambled through the camp entrance and into the forest.


	3. Chapter 2

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 2

The black she-cat's icy-blue eyes blinked open slowly and her silver-tipped ears swiveled to life. She could just barely see the traces of darkness left in the sky as it was lit up with golds and pinks from the rising sun. For the first time in days, she had a full belly and was able to sleep peacefully thanks to the safety of ThunderClan's camp surrounding her. Yesterday the hunting patrol she went on had brought in plenty of fresh-kill, enough to feed both all the ThunderClan cats and her band. She had managed to catch both a vole and a mouse, but they were mostly made on luck. Some of her other cats had proven to be quite the hunters. Her dark black tabby friend rushed through a large bush and caught two mice at once before they could scamper away. That was when Dawnstorm suggested his new name - Stripedshadow. He never rejected it so they started calling him that.

Mouseear teased the fluffy tabby a couple times about being so large and plump that he would lumber through the forest like a bear and scare all the prey away. (Despite this, he caught a squirrel.) Because of this, the younger warriors started calling him Bearclaw as a joke, but it seemed to fit.

Icestripe named the red-and-brown splotched tom who went hunting with her yesterday Dirtface because he came back to camp covered in dirt after chasing pathetically after tons of mice and catching none. Something similar had happened to the white she-cat with red-burned paws, tail, and face. When the hunting party returned she was covered in clovers from head to paw. (Apparently, she had stumbled into Patternedflower's den and got lost). So it was just appropriate to call her Cloverfur.

A certain she-kit named Hollykit, having left the nursery, found the marigold-tipped white tom and started teasing him, saying how she wanted him to have the same name as her. Since then, the queens had started calling him Hollystep because the kit would follow him everywhere he went.

The older, raggedy-brown tom cat had fit right in with the elders. Ridgeclaw, a silver elder with brown paws, named him Lizardclaw after his awkward stripes. Unfortunately he wasn't doing so well. Patterenedflower and her apprentice, Thornpaw, were busy taking care of him. Apparently, their journey had worn the old cat out. His son and daughter were fine though. The cream-colored she-cat with white paws fit right in with the apprentices who have started calling her Snowpaw. The dark colored tabby and the light-brown-colored toms got along well with the other apprentices as well and the young cats were all to eager to come up with apprentice names for them - Stormpaw and Ledgepaw, respectively.

Yesterday while on the hunting patrol, the white and gray tom with black tabby markings stumbled across a snake that nearly bit his paw off. He went berserk and started flailing around terrified (and scared off the prey for a good, long while). Jaggedtooth annoyedly started calling him Adderstorm in honor of the fit - it stuck.

Also, the lean, spotted, silver tom that went hunting with them had bounded after a robin yesterday. He missed horribly and barreled into a pile of rocks, sending them everywhere. Since then the warriors have started calling him Stoneflight.

The large ginger tom, going with his "Lion-stigma", named himself Lionfang - apparently, just because it sounded tough. The dark silver she-cat that was almost always by his side and been given a name too. Lionfang called her Moontalon, supposedly because she shined like the moon but was as sharp as a claw. The black she-cat only agreed with the latter part of that statement. The way those two cats looked at each other made her gag.

The white she-cat with the brown stripe down her back, the one who had tried to help Snowpaw and her brother help their father to camp yesterday, had yet to be named. She had spent most of her time with Patternedflower and Thornpaw in the medicine den, helping to make sure Lizardclaw would be okay. The cream-colored tom cat also hadn't received a name yet since he had been too busy worrying over his father to spend any real time mingling with ThunderClan. Speaking of which, the ebony she-cat rustled into awakeness with the feeling of warmth on either side of her. To her left was Bearclaw, his large, warm body providing plenty of heat in the open air (since they weren't allowed in the warrior's den). Despite the warmth, an uneasy feeling rippled through her and she shuffled the other way slightly, closer to the cream-colored tom on her other flank. He was still out cold, probably exhausted from running around on his paws all day taking care of Lizardclaw.

"Think you should wake him up?" Bearclaw asked, flicking his ear towards her. "I'm sure Twistedtail…" He was interrupted by one of his own yawns. "...will want us on a patrol or something..."

"He probably won't ask us since we went on that massive hunting patrol yesterday," she pointed out. "But he might ask him to do something." Her blue gaze shifted to her pale friend. "Hey, wake up!" she mewed softly, nudging his ear with her little, pink nose. He blinked awake slowly, revealing dark blue irises behind dreary lids. "Twistedtail will probably ask you to go out on a dawn patrol or something..." she whispered. He, with some effort it seemed, raised his head to look at her but it was a moment before he opened his muzzle to speak. Ironically, he was cut off.

"Wow, you look terrible!"

The three of them looked up to see their white-and-brown she-cat friend.

"I'm tired..." he mumbled, giving up and dropping his chin down on his paws. The black she-cat smiled bitterly and draped her tail across his back for a second before removing it.

"Maybe Patterenedflower has an herb to give you some strength," the brown-and-white she-cat suggested.

"You sure are spending a lot of time in the medicine den," Bearclaw smirked, yawning again before swiping his tongue over a paw and drawing it over his ear.

"So?" the she-cat bit back and nudged the pale tom to his feet. "Come on," she urged and guided him off towards the medicine den.

"So..." Bearclaw began lamely. "How'd you sleep?" he asked, looking to the black she-cat against his flank.

"Better," she meowed, yawning a little before receiving a nuzzle from her friend that made her blink. Did he just...? Her ears burned red before her tail lashed instinctively and she got to her paws. Letting out a nervous laugh, she took a couple steps back. Was he just trying to make her uncomfortable...?

"Black she-cat," came the sudden, regal meow. The ebony cat turned quickly to see Hollowstar beckoning her over with a flick of her tail. It was sad that she had learned to respond to "name" but she bounded over without a second thought, eager to leave Bearclaw behind.

"Yes, Hollowstar?" she asked.

"How was the night?" the leader asked good-naturedly. For a moment, the black she-cat was taken back. ThunderClan's leader was calling her over for idle chat?

"Fine, thank you," she replied with a small nod.

"Good. If you have the energy, would you accompany the border patrol this morning?" she asked. At first, the black cat blinked her blue eyes but then she nodded quickly.

"Of course, Hollowstar."

"Great," the bark-colored-and-white leader grinned. "I want Flamefoot to show you our territory." Thoughts reeled through the young she-cat's mind. Why was ThunderClan's leader so eager to welcome her into their way of life? She glanced up, catching a sparkle in Hollowstar's eyes. She was about to question the leader but the white-and-bark-colored cat cut her off and changed the subject before she had the chance. "Have you chosen a name yet?"

"No," she meowed quickly. "But most of the cats have. Only the cream-colored tom, the white-and-brown-striped she-cat, and I are left."

"Excellent, and the names?"

The black cat reeled off the names for the leader who flicked her ears forward in delight. "Fine names," she meowed before pushing herself to her feet and trudging off without another syllable. The black cat watched her go before she was suddenly jousted from behind.

"Spacey isn't she?" came the familiar chuckle just over her shoulder. The fur along her spine stood up and she held back a hiss as she pivoted around to come muzzle-to-muzzle with Flamefoot.

"A bit..." she replied warily, narrowing her icy eyes.

"Don't let that fool you," the fiery warrior chuckled. "She's as sharp as a fox!" Well that was redundant... She'd wager that a leader didn't become leader by being spacey! "Going on the dawn patrol?" he asked.

"Yeah. You?" she shot back, a thought of hoping lingering in the back of her head.

"Sure am," he purred, tail-tip flicking. "I'll meet you at the camp entrance." With that, he headed off. She rolled her eyes and took off after him but at a much slower pace. Before she reached the other end of the clearing, she passed Patternedflower's den and her two friends exiting it. Immediately, she had to bite her chops to hold back a giggle. The small, cream-colored tom had purple-blue juice splattered all over his face as well as the rest of his fur.

"What happened to you?" she asked in a high-pitched voice in her effort to not laugh.

"He stumbled into some of Patterenedflower's berries..." the brown-and-white she-cat giggled. The cream-colored tom's ears flattened against his head as he glared at the two she-cat's but the juice all over his face only made him look amusing rather than intimidating.

"Well, at least you smell sweet!" the black she-cat cooed, sniffing the air around her friend.

"Ha ha," he groaned sarcastically and rasped his tongue over his jaws in a sad attempt to get rid of the juice before it stained.

"Hey, Berrypelt!" came the cry from the front of camp. It was the unmistakable yowl of Flamefoot, and he seemed amused. "Come on dawn patrol with us!"

"Berrypelt!" the black she-cat gleamed. "I like it!"

"It's cute!" the white-and-brown she-cat giggled. Berrypelt shot evil stares at the both of them but hung his head, cursed with his new name.

"Come on!" the black cat meowed, nudging him towards the camp entrance. They padded up next to Flamefoot. Ashpaw and a tortoiseshell she-cat with a scarred paw were by his side and a lean, rusty-red-mottled tom with a sharp face sat on Flamefoot's other side. The ebony she-cat recognized him as Foxface, the cat who had suggested Icestripe's name. Speaking of him, the white and silver tom was next to him - as well as was Adderstorm.

"I believe you've met my apprentice - Ashpaw," he said, some trace of pride in his voice. The smoky she-cat's gaze was elsewhere in the clearing, not on her mentor. _  
>"Probably looking for Blazetail," <em>the black she-cat thought wickedly to herself.  
>"And this is Rippedpaw," he added, ushering to the tortoiseshell she-cat next to him whose only response was an ear flick. "She's Dawnstorm's apprentice. But I thought we could take her on patrol with us this morning."<p>

"Nice to meet you," Berrypelt meowed between licks over his shoulder, still attempting to get the staining juice off.

"What happened to y-" Adderstorm began.

"Don't ask," the cream-colored tom cut him off flatly, his ears lowered. Icestripe held back a chuckle.

"So this is it, eh?" Foxface meowed. "Alright, let's move out then."

The large patrol worked their way out of camp and quickly made their way up the ravine in what the black she-cat pinpointed to be a northward direction. They spent quite a while winding through the dense forest that grew all over ThunderClan territory. All the while, the ebony she-cat realized that the warriors were significantly faster and more agile running through the terrain than her cats. It was harder for her, Adderstorm, and Icestripe to keep up with the others. Oddly enough, Berrypelt seemed to be doing better. Maybe it was his lanky frame? The thought amused her.

"We'll rest here..." Foxface meowed what seemed forever later as the patrol stumbled into a small clearing.

"Thank StarClan!" Ashpaw groaned, collapsing onto the ground. "My paws hurt!" Silently, the black cat was grateful that not only her paws were tired, but she was surprised at the young she-cat's complaining because her mentor didn't say anything about it either. This got the black she-cat wondering how Flamefoot ever became a mentor in the first place. Foxface seemed to be older, and much more responsible.

"StarClan?" Icestripe echoed, turning his head as he and Adderstorm clambered into the clearing through the trees behind the black she-cat.

"Warrior ancestors that watch over us from silverpelt," Foxface replied, sitting down in the center of the clearing and wrapping his long tail around his paws.

"Silverpelt?" Berrypelt asked, plopping himself down to rest. The black she-cat self-consciously positioned herself at her pale friend's flank as she nestled to the ground to let her paws relax.

"The -" Rippedpaw opened her muzzle to reply but the black she-cat cut her off as she sat down next to her friend.

"The night sky," she replied, glad to be able to show off her knowledge of Clan-life. She then felt slightly nervous showing off in front of the ThunderClan cats, but no one seemed to notice her unexplained knowledge.

"So... let me get his straight... The spirits of dead cats watch over you?" Adderstorm meowed, dropping to the ground gruffly. Anyone with half an eye could tell he was exhausted. Icestripe barely got into the clearing before he collapsed.

"Pretty much," Flamefoot replied with a grin and a flick of the ear.

"Cooooool!" Icestripe mewed, his eyes bright with interest. The black she-cat and Berrypelt exchanged amused looks as the thought of Dirtface back in camp hit their minds. Their friend had all dislikes for anything spiritual.

By now the sun was directly overhead and the sunlight filtered right through the openings left by the trees above the small clearing. The warmth made the cats tired and the black she-cat noticed Berrypelt's, Icestripe's, Adderstorm's, and even Rippedpaw's eyes drifting open and closed. The cream-colored tom dropped his chin down onto his paws again, his whiskers twitching from fatigue. She knew he must've been tired. Now that she thought about it... Did he even ever eat yesterday? Probably not. Knowing him he gave his prey to Lizardclaw.

She gently got to her paws, nudging Berrypelt with a silver front paw so he wouldn't fall (he had practically been falling asleep and she had been his lean post) to the ground.

"Is it alright if I hunt?" she asked, swiveling her ear towards Flamefoot and Foxface. The two fiery warriors blinked in surprise.

"If you want, sure," Foxface replied. "If you're not tired." She shook her arrow-shaped head and padded out of the clearing and into the woods.

"But hurry back! We don't want to be held back for too long!" she heard Flamefoot's voice calling after her as she slipped into the cool shadows provided by the trees. She rolled her icy blue eyes. Did that warrior ever shut up? Taking a calming breath, she blew the frustration out of her body through her nostrils. All at once her footsteps became lighter and glided across the forest floor virtually silently. Her muzzle skimmed low to the ground, parted just a little to let in any scents. The warm air around her was filled with prey scents - it was that time of year. Almost immediately she pinpointed the scent of a vole somewhere nearby. Instinctively, she dropped into a crouch, her shoulder blades jutting out sharply. Her muscles tensed as she declined into a stalker's stance and she shrunk forward quietly. The pair of silver-tipped ears flicked forward at the sound of scurrying and her heart jumped. Narrowing her icy eyes through the tall grass she noticed the little brown body running through the blades of green on pattering paws. Her silver paw flew forward excitedly and came down too quickly, creating a rustling sound. She realized it too late and her ears flattened as the vole stopped and turned in her direction, its beady eyes blinking. Then it quickly turned and darted off. No! Her powerful hind legs uncoiled like springs and she sprang forward, barreling towards the little creature. She swiped and just barely missed its tail. Her lean body turned in an instant and she writhed around, clasping her front silver paws down and around the little beast. It was forced to the ground where she took its life mercifully with a quick bite to its neck. After it stopped writhing beneath her jaws, she let it go and took a deep breath, letting her heart slow down after the adrenaline that had rushed through her system after the hunt. She took another deep breath but it turned into a wide yawn. Shaking her arrow-like head she picked the vole up in her jaws and made her way back through the forest. Her slender body wound around the trees, following her scent trail back to the clearing where she appeared to the other cats suddenly, breaking through the barrier of green brush and the soft grass of the clearing.

"That was fast," Flamefoot complimented. She ignored him and padded over to Berrypelt who had merely blinked his eyes open to look at his friend's reappearance. Opening her jaws, she dropped the vole in front of his paws.

"Here," she meowed.

"But... aren't we supposed to bring fresh-kill back to ThunderClan first?" he asked softly; his voice was tired.

"On a hunting patrol, yes," she replied. "But this is a border patrol. So eat." With that, she pushed it towards him with a silver paw, shot with sparkles from the sun overhead. Berrypelt looked at the kill with his dark blue eyes and then back up at his friend, flicking an ear in her direction.

"...why?" he asked.

"Because you haven't eaten in days," she growled, dropping down onto her belly next to him. Without another word she folded her front paws and plopped her chin onto them. He looked at her questioningly, glanced at Flamefoot and Foxface, and then pulled the vole to him before plunging his teeth into it. The two ThunderClan warriors exchanged looks before flicking amused ears.

"Hey! How come Berrypelt gets to eat?" Ashpaw whined.

"He's hungry," growled Rippedpaw. "Shut up." No one acknowledged the apprentice's sourness, but secretly the black she-cat was grateful for Rippedpaw's control of her Clanmate's carping behavior.

"I agree with her... I wanna eat too!" Adderstorm chuckled, looking up from where he and Icestripe lay, dozing on and off in the sun.

"Then you'll learn to hunt, won't you?" the black she-cat shot to him, a smirk on her muzzle.

The rest of the patrol politely waited for Berrypelt to finish his vole before they went on their way again. Flamefoot explained to them how Clan cats always buried the bones of their fresh-kill after they've eaten it as a sign of respect for the life they gave so the cats could eat.

After having rested, the cats seemed to have gotten a second wind. This let them get to the edge of ThunderClan territory.

"Ugh! What's that stench?" Icestripe yowled, his nose twitching. The black she-cat smelt it too. It was a boggy, musky smell like mold and it made her nose want to turn inside out. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, almost expecting them to start watering.

"That's the smell of ShadowClan cats," Flamefoot meowed, his tail lashing. "Trust me, they're bad news! Every last one of them!" He sniffed a nearby tree before rubbing the back of his head against the bark.

"He's leaving scent markers along the border," Rippedpaw explained as she walked past Icestripe and Adderstorm. Out of politeness, the black she-cat didn't bother to say that she knew that.

"What's so bad about ShadowClan?" Berrypelt asked curiously, glancing to her for answers but it was Foxface who answered.

"They're notorious for trying to steal prey and territory. Don't turn your back on one, or you're bound to find a claw in it." The cream-colored tom flattened his ears against his head and gulped.

"Aww! I didn't know you felt that way, Foxface!" came the mocking meow of a wicked sounding cat just beyond the border. The patrol turned to see a cinder-colored tom making his way out of a large, fallen tree trunk that lay just across the ThunderClan-ShadowClan border. His paws were booted in mud from the marsh that painted ShadowClan territory further in and his snout was twisted at an odd angle, like it had been broken and hadn't heeled properly. A small gray tabby tom appeared over top the same log, and a lean tan she-cat followed behind him, her eyes narrowed like a harpy ready to strike. Just next to her was a small tabby she-cat with light colored fur.

"Long time, no see, Brokennose," Foxface meowed with an ear flick. His voice was calm but the non-ThunderClan cats could see his fur bristle along the back of his neck. "Sandpoppy," he acknowledged, nodding to the other warrior. "And...?" He looked at the two small tabbies.

"Sprintingpaw," Brokennose muttered, lazily ushering to the young gray tabby tom.  
>"Sittingpaw," Sandpoppy introduced the small light tabby she-cat, placing her tail between her apprentice and the ThunderClan warriors. Her voice was prickly, like it was laced with thorns.<p>

"You were saying about ShadowClan cats?" Brokennose ushered, eyeing Foxface daringly. The rusty warrior averted his gaze and grunted a response of noncaring. Brokennose let out a deep chuckle. "Maybe if ThunderClan was more like ShadowClan, it wouldn't have to recruit random, pathetic newcomers..." he yowled. Next to her, the black she-cat suddenly felt the fur of Berrypelt next to her bristle and she impulsively let her claws slip out.

"Who're you calling 'pathetic', furball?" Adderstorm yowled, fluffing up his fur as he spat at the marshy cats.

"Calm down, Adderstorm," Foxface muttered with a flick of his tail. "No point starting a useless fight... Besides," he smirked. "These cowards dare not strike. There are eight of us and four of them." Brokennose narrowed his gaze and growled under his breath before turning tail and stomping away from the border. He was at once followed by the other warrior and their apprentices.

"You're right," Icestripe meowed. "They are foxhearts."

"Not all ShadowClan cats can be like that... surely..." the black she-cat frowned.

"Maybe not," Flamefoot sighed. "But better safe than sorry." With that, the border patrol finished marking the border (she, Berrypelt, Adderstorm, and Icestripe weren't allowed to mark since they didn't carry ThunderClan scents) and then began making their way back to camp.

The sun was just barely touching the top of the crevice that circled around the ThunderClan camp when the border patrol shrugged their way in through the bramble-curtained entrance. Just as they entered, they found the night patrol leaving. The black she-cat flicked her silver-tipped ears towards Stripedshadow as he followed Twistedtail, Ghosttail, Jaggedtooth, and Bristlepaw (Jaggedtooth's apprentice), a young black she-cat splotched bright red, out into the forest. He blinked his piercing green eyes in response before disappearing out the thorn thicket like a shadow.

"Show off," she heard Adderstorm mumble under his breath as he stalked past her, heading immediately towards the fresh-kill pile in the center of camp, freshly stocked from a recently returned hunting party. A couple cats had already taken their share and were gathered in little groups around the clearing to eat. She shot a rueful stare at the back of Adderstorm's black, white, and gray head. Did he have to be so rude? The voice of a small, cream tom by her side snapped her head out of it.

"What are they doing?" he meowed softly. She shifted her gaze to him. With his long, thin tail he pointed to a light tan she-cat with scraggly fur and a brown tom with white splotches and a torn ear huddled together near a bramble thicket den in the back of the clearing. The two older cats were lying close together with the elder she-cat rasping her tongue between the tom's ears while they muttered to each other. The black she-cat flicked an ear at her friend and opened her muzzle to respond but was cut off as a familiar meow came flocked to their ears.

"Sharing tongues." They turned to see their white-pelted she-cat friend with the brown stripe down her back. She carried the scent of sweet-smelling herbs on her fur and a tiny stem draped over her nose. A tiny, lavender bud blossomed at the end of it and the other two cats weren't entirely sure as to whether or not their friend knew it was there.

"What's sharing tongues?" asked Berrypelt, furrowing the fur over one of his eyes and tilting his head as he glanced at the flower across the she-cat's nose. She blinked a couple times before going cross-eyed, noticing the bud, and then shaking it off.

"It's when cats come together at the end of the day to share food, talk about the news, and groom each other," she replied. The black she-cat flicked her tail at the remark. It was well said - like her friend had been a Clan cat for moons instead of two days. Her gaze scanned across the clearing, catching a glimpse of Lionfang and Moontalon sharing tongues and a thrush at their paws. Not far away from them, near the apprentices' den, was Blazetail and Ashpaw sharing a similar moment; the young she-cat had been quick to find the rose-tailed tom as soon as they returned from patrol. Blinking her icy eyes a couple times, a realization flushed her mind. Her friends were adjusting to Clan life...strangely quickly! Thoughts of Stripedshadow stepping out on a patrol with not a single other cat from their group - only ThunderClan cats - came to her mind. Were some of them adapting better than her? In her mind, she spat. She hadn't even come up with a name yet!

"Oh! And Patternedflower suggested a name for me today!" chirped her friend, pulling the black she-cat out of her thoughts.

"Great!" Berrypelt grinned. "What is it?"

"Spiritpetal," she meowed, her tail-tip twitching excitedly. "She says its because I keep messing with the petals in her herbs supplies and that I've been such a help - that maybe I was sent from StarClan!" Wow... Her friends were already talking about StarClan... like a normal Clan cat.. And now she was the only one without a name! Great!

"It's a good name for you," the cream-colored tom purred just as a yowl from the other side of the clearing beckoned the brown-and-white she-cat away.

"Sorry," Spiritpetal meowed. "Patterenedflower must need me for something." And with that, she sped off towards the medicine den. The two cats looked down at the flower she had left behind.

"Think she needed it?" the tom thought outloud. The black she-cat bent down and gave it a sniff with her little, pink nose.

"It smells like lavender..." she said.

"Funny," he meowed. "It looked like a lily to me." The sound of the flower's name made the ebony cat flick her ears towards him and tilt her head questioningly. "It's a pretty name for a flower," he said with an amused shrug without her even having to ask the question. She rolled her eyes at his randomness before changing the subject.

"Want to share a mouse or something?" the black she-cat suggested quickly, shuffling her paws. For a moment the pale tom's ears shot up, but only a second later they drooped.

"Sorry. I have to go check on my father," he muttered with regret in his mew, putting his head low. The black she-cat shifted her whiskers for a minute before touching her friend's flank with her tail.

"Forget it then," she meowed. He nodded.

"Later." It didn't take long for the lithe little tom to disappear across the camp towards the elder's den where Lizardclaw had been graciously accepted. A yawn graced the she-cat's silver muzzle as she let out a sigh.

"Wanna eat with us?" came the friendly meow behind her. She twisted on her paws to see Cloverfur with a robin at her paws and Stoneflight by her side, a squirrel clamped tightly in his jaws. She blinked graciously and, after nosing through the quickly diminishing fresh-kill pile, she selected a mouse for herself and followed the white and ginger she-cat and the gray and speckled tom over to a vacant spot where she plopped down. She was surprised not to see Dirtface with Cloverfur, but she guessed he must've been busy. Her paws immediately folded beneath her, suddenly tired after the long trek today.

"Is ThunderClan territory really as big as Adderstorm and Icestripe's been telling us?" Cloverfur exclaimed, her green eyes bright and wide with curiosity. Stoneflight was already tearing absentmindedly into his squirrel despite its fluffiness. His small, stone-light paws were nestled around it protectively, like he was willing to face the whole of ThunderClan for it. The black she-cat chuckled at the tom before wrapping her paws around her own dinner.

"Yes! And Foxface only showed us half!" she meowed before sinking her teeth into fresh-kill. The warm flesh hugged her teeth and the juices tingled her tongue happily so that she flattened her ears as she savored it.

"Hey, you guys!" came the happy meow of a certain fluffy tomcat as he strolled over to them where he at once flopped down next to the black cat, his tail practically laying over hers. She glanced sideways at Bearclaw and flicked a somewhat annoyed ear - her mouth was full.

"Hey - have you still not thought of a name?" he reprimanded, playfully scuffing her over said ear. Swallowing, she shot him a harsh glance that sent her tail lashing.

"I've been busy!" she scoffed and tore another bite off her mouse so she wouldn't be inclined to speak again.

"Spiritpetal got her name today," Cloverfur chimed.

"Spiritpetal?" Stoneflight mused. "What kind of a name is that?"

"A medicine cat's name," the black she-cat said matter-of-factly after she gulped down her mouthful of mouse.

"You look like a shadow..." Bearclaw muttered, nudging the ebony cat's shoulder with his nose, completely ignorant of his other friend's conversation.

"Stripedshadow has already used 'shadow' in his name," she pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone.

"So?" he shot back. "Use it again!"

"I like 'lily'!" Cloverfur piped in suddenly. The black she-cat's eyes shot open as she looked at her friend. There's that word again...

"Nonsense!" Stoneflight interjected. "She's nothing like a flower!"

"I like that name too, Cloverfur..." the she-cat muttered absentmindedly.

"Well..." Stoneflight growled, rolling his sky-blue eyes. "It's your name." With that, he stuffed another mouthful of squirrel into his chops.

"May I make a suggestion?" The lot of cats turned around to see the white-and bark-colored regal form of Hollowstar striding towards them. The cats all bowed their head respectively and the black she-cat silently muttered gratefulness that her friends were learning Clan etiquette.

"Of course, Hollowstar!" she meowed, looking up at the ThunderClan leader.

"What if you combined the two?" Hollowstar recommended, her long brown tail writhing back and forth calmly.

"Shadowlily?" Cloverfur thought outloud, tilting her head to the side.

"No!" Bearclaw laughed. "Lilyshadow!" The black she-cat blinked her icy-blue eyes at the tabby, then up at the ThunderClan leader standing over her and noticed an almost knowing curve along her muzzle.

"Okay," she meowed softly but happily. "Lilyshadow it is..."


	4. Chapter 3

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 3

Lilyshadow's paws glided across the mossy forest floor effortlessly, as if her pads had been used to trekking these lands for moons. Her silver-tipped ears perked up at the sound of trickling water in the distance. As she lifted her nose to the air, sure enough, the scent of fresh water met her nostrils. Whiskers twitching at the thought of the refreshment, she bounded in that direction. She trotted towards the aura reverberating from the water and for a moment wondered why she was being so whimsical; normally she never did anything on a whim.

The landscape beneath her changed, the forest's pine needles giving away to slightly slippery stone blanketed with moss here and there. A tall circle of pond reeds jutted up out of the earth in front of her. Flicking an ear curiously at their sudden appearance, she wove her way through them, only to come to an expansive pool of water. She skidded to a stop right at its edge, her paws almost brushing the tip of its depths. It wasn't large enough to be called a pond; it was definitely not much more than a puddle, but there was something about it that made it seem as if it would never dry up. Her icy blue eyes gazed at it and the surface of the water almost seemed to reflect icicles back at her because the sheen the water had to it had a starshine all of its own. With uncertainty, she leaned forward and gazed into its depths. Looking back at her was the unmistakable reflection of her self. It was a perfect picture, her face looking back at her as if she was looking into glass, not water. Suddenly, her eyes caught her attention. Within her irises, she could see swirls of color meshing together, the blue of ice mixing with an emerald green, like the swell of a great body of water. The wave of colors churned and churned until all blue had left her eyes and starring back at her was a cat whose eyes shown like bright, green stones. The outline of the cat's features had barely changed; perhaps it looked a big sharper and fiercer.

"Lilyshadow..." Her name echoed in her head. Or was it from her head? She blinked down into the image in the pool beneath her.

"Lilyshadow..." she heard again. It wasn't in her voice, but a deeper one. Although the voice was laced with more gruffness than hers, it still sounded like cold water dripping down rocks. It had a strange smoothness to it as well.

She opened her muzzle to speak to her reflection...this reflection...this cat...whatever it was, but no words came to her throat anyway.

"Do you know where you are?" the cat in the pool asked her. She nodded slowly. She was at the Moonpool, the sacred body of water where Clan cats, mostly leaders and medicine cats, shared tongues with their warrior ancestors in StarClan.

"Do you know where I am?" the reflection cat went on. This time Lilyshadow shook her head, no. "I am Ivystrike and I walk the starlit hunting grounds of StarClan," he meowed through the whispering water. Lilyshadow's eyes went wide. So this cat had once been a living warrior?

"Listen carefully, Lilyshadow..." his voice went on. The black she-cat could only nod her head. "StarClan has brought you and your cats here for a very special reason. You must trust us." With those last few words, Ivystrike's image in the Moonpool started to ebb away. In fact, all of Lilyshadow's vision was disappearing! She was slipping into darkness, her vision completely failing her. At first she considered yowling out loudly and flailing around pathetically in madness at her lack of sight, but it mere moments a silvery light, like a moonbeam, appeared in front of her. From within its shining curtain, her eyes made out the image of a blooming white flower opening up its petals to soak up the silver light.

_"When blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest."_

The voice of Ivystrike echoed in her mind as a strong gust of wind barreled through, ripping the flower before her out of its moonlight and sending her fur astray. A sudden gush of ice and a flurry of snow accompanied and seemed to blow her clear off her paws and into the darkness around her.

Lilyshadow's eyes shot open as her head bolted up, gasps for air streaming out of her muzzle. Her blue gaze scanned the clearing this way and that, only for her find she was in the ThunderClan camp surrounded by the bodies of her band of cats, safely in the hollow. Moonlight still trickled down from overhead, accompanied by the lights of silverpelt.

"What is it?" The meow startled her, her fur fluffing up as she twisted her head to see Stripedshadow against her pelt behind her. Even though it was obvious that he had just been asleep, his green eyes were bright with awareness and his fur bristled.

"N-nothing," the black she-cat muttered under her breath, careful to be quiet so as to not wake the sleeping cats next to her. The ebony tabby gave her an unamused look, narrowing his sharp eyes.

"Yes it is," he shot back. She flattened her ears, holding back a glare.

"I'll tell you later," she whispered sharply before tucking her head back down in hopes of returning to sleep. A yelp almost made its way from her lips as the strong paw of Stripedshadow came crashing down on her tail, yanking her back awake. Shooting icy stares at him, she pushed herself to her paws, the action to which Stripedshadow soon followed. He nudged her with his shoulder and flicked his tail towards the camp entrance before making his way in that direction as swiftly and silently as a shadow itself. She followed him, carefully stepping her way over Bearclaw, Berrypelt, Icestripe, Lionfang, Moontalon, Stoneflight, and Cloverfur on her way. The pair reached the edge of camp just by the bramble tunnel where Lilyshadow's nose picked up the traces of Hollystep and Dirtface accompanied by Rippedpaw and Dawnstorm. They must've gone out on the night patrol. She caught how tired the small tortoiseshell cat looked. She couldn't blame her. Back to back patrols? She looked at Rippedpaw's sandy-colored mentor.

_"She'll take whatever chance she can get with Dawnstorm," _she realized, looking at the old warrior.

"What?" she hissed quietly to Stripedshadow, pulling herself back to reality as he nudged her with a paw roughly.

"Tell me what you were dreaming about," the shadowy tomcat meowed calmly as he sat down and wrapped his tail elegantly around his paws as if he had all the time in the world.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked. Truthfully, the she-cat kind of wished to keep her dream to herself. What if it had been a message from StarClan? ...No.. A prophecy..?

Stripedshadow shrugged. Before either of them could say anything else, the almost inaudible sound of a cat slipping out of its den made them turn their heads. They pivoted to see Patternedflower slipping out of the medicine den and making her way towards them and the bramble tunnel entrance.

"What are you two doing awake?" the medicine cat asked in her soft tone. "You weren't selected to go on the night patrol." Before Lilyshadow could reply, Stripedshadow beat her to it.

"What are you doing awake?" he shot back, flicking his tail. The black she-cat held back a sigh. Why did her friend have to be so rude? Brushing it out of her mind, she convinced herself he didn't mean it. Luckily, the medicine cat didn't comment on it.

"I'm heading out to collect some herbs. We're getting low on daisy leaves because we've been giving it to Lizardclaw for is aches, and Spiritpetal says she thinks he's starting to run a fever so I'm going to need some extra feverfew," she explained, her tail winding back and forth good-naturedly. "And since I was out I was going to collect some watermint, since night is the best time to collect it because the ground is damp." All these herbs were beginning to make Lilyshadow's head spin. Wait.. Lizardclaw? Fever? In the back of her head, the black she-cat wondered if Berrypelt and Snowpaw knew.

"Now that I think about it," the medicine cat went on. "I'll probably need some help carrying it all. Would you two mind coming with me?" It may have been a question, but Lilyshadow knew better than to refuse help to a medicine cat.

"Not at all," the black she-cat replied just as the bramble tunnel rustled and the smoky body of Mouseear as she shrugged through, a mouse in her jaws. She was followed by Adderstorm, Stormpaw, and Ledgepaw and then Ghosttail, Jaggedtooth, and Bristlepaw. That must have been the nighttime hunting patrol. The smell of fresh-kill enveloped her snout, but she would have to wait until she returned in the morning to have any.

The medicine cat gave a nod before scrambling out of the thorn tunnel. As the almost all-white she-cat disappeared, Lilyshadow shot Stripedshadow a strong, "look-what-you've-gotten-us-into" gaze and followed the medicine cat out of camp.

The ThunderClan medicine cat led them north, a way Lilyshadow hadn't been yet, towards the scent of gusting wind laced with the slight tang of rabbit. "_WindClan scent," _she thought. A shiver shot through her as she realized if they kept heading north, they'd reach the Moonpool. Instantly, thoughts of her dream replayed in her memory, making her fur bristle. Stripedshadow, who was flanking her closely in the darkness, felt when her pelt stood on end and flicked his ears in her direction. His eyes practically lit up in the dark as he hissed quietly to her under his breath.

"Are you going to tell me now?"

"Later!" she growled back, head-butting him away and shouldering ahead of him to walk next to Patterenedflower.

"Isn't it not a good idea for you to leave the medicine den? What if a cat needs you?" Lilyshadow asked like a curious kit. She hoped an aura of curiosity would mask her anxiousness, and would also get her mind off her dream.

"I can excuse myself for a few minutes. Besides, Thornpaw and Spiritpetal are there if any cat needs help," she replied.

"You trust an apprentice and a non-Clanborn cat?" Stripedshadow meowed. His tone didn't carry a particular emotion but his words sounded strange coming from him considering he wasn't Clanborn either.

"Thornpaw is a bright, young she-cat and Spiritpetal is more than trustworthy," Patternedflower replied. "She has helped so much these last few sunrises. In fact..." The medicine cat brought her paws to a stop and looked back at the two dark cats. "All of your cats have been a great help." Lilyshadow and Stripedshadow exchanged a couple of slightly surprised looks to which the smooth-furred she-cat chuckled. "No cat in ThunderClan can deny that we're flourishing with your help," she went on. "We are able to have the largest patrols in the forest, and more of them. Cats are bringing in piles of fresh-kill, and large numbers provide security for us all. Not to mention, new friends are being made and lives are being shaped." The silver tips of Lilyshadow's ears twitched at the medicine cat's words. Lives are being shaped...? Thoughts of how Patterenedflower spoke of her cats flooded her mind: taking care of Lizardclaw like he was a forest-born elder, thinking Spiritpetal was practically a medicine cat apprentice, trusting her and Stripedshadow, two strangers, to go out on an herb hunt with her... ThunderClan was just accepting them, not that she was complaining. It was almost as if StarClan was paving a way for them to be accepted into Clan life... What if they were?

"Perhaps it is the will of StarClan that you all are here," Patterenedflower meowed. Lilyshadow's blue eyes blinked in surprise. It was as if the ThunderClan medicine cat was reading her mind! ...She was pretty sure medicine cats didn't have that power though...

"Maybe it is," Stripedshadow agreed wistfully, flanking Lilyshadow's side again. The black she-cat blinked again. Did Stripedshadow believe in StarClan? She found that hard to believe if he did, or if any of her other cats did. They hadn't been here for long, yet they spoke and acted half the time as if they were part of ThunderClan. Even Patterenedflower gave Stripedshadow a surprised look, but it was soon replaced with a happy meow and the three padded onward.

Thoughts of StarClan swirled inside Lilyshadow's head, and she kept coming back to her dream.

"Can I share something with the two of you?" Patterenedflower asked, suddenly sitting down. The two black cats brought their paws to a stop and sat down next to each other, looking at the medicine cat with bright eyes.

"Has Spiritpetal ever showed any ...strange signs before?" she questioned, flicking her thin color-muddled tail. Stripedshadow was the first to respond.

"What kind of strange signs?" he said, flicking an ear.

"I don't know..." the older she-cat muttered, looking down and flattening her ears as if she were nervous. "... Other-worldly signs?"

"Why?" Lilyshadow asked quickly.

"I believe StarClan shared something important with me in a dream..." the medicine cat replied. The black she-cat stood stark up-right, ears perked, in shock. A dream?

"What sort of dream?" asked the black tom. His fur was laying flat and he seemed rather relaxed. Lilyshadow wished she could show that much control over her emotions.

"I saw a white flower bathed in the moonlight," the almost all-white she-cat spoke. The icy eyes of Lilyshadow went wide. That was her dream! "And a cat from StarClan said to me, _when blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest._" A shiver shot down Lilyshadow's spine, sending her fur on end.

_"How long has Patterenedflower been having this dream_?" she wondered.

"Why are you sharing this with us?" Stripedshadow meowed. "Shouldn't you tell Hollowstar?"

"You know Spiritpetal better than I do. I'm convinced the prophecy has something to do with her," the medicine cat exclaimed quickly as if she had been prepared for the dark tom's retort.

It took her a minute, but Lilyshadow swallowed her shock and carefully responded.

"Well, we've never noticed anything abnormal about her," she meowed. Patterenedflower hung her head for a moment as if defeated.

"Alright, but let me know anything if you find out, will you?" she said softly and got back to her paws, returning to trekking through the damp, midnight forest.

"Of course," Lilyshadow replied. "_Of course not!" _she added in her mind. StarClan must've had shared this dream with her too for a reason, but if the prophecy was about Spiritpetal, why share it with her...?

Sunlight was streaking the sky when Lilyshadow followed Patternedflower back into camp through the bramble tunnel with a bushel of watermint clamped tightly in her jaws, Stripedshadow squeezing into camp behind her. His mouth was packed with round, dark green daisy leaves and he had a couple white and yellow daisy flowers stuck to his ebony fur. This image made Lilyshadow giggle in her head.

The two found their way into the medicine den, an open crevice in the rock hollow that made up ThunderClan's camp. It smelt of so many strong, pungent herbs that Lilyshadow's nose seemed to be spinning at the end of her face. She dropped the watermint, glad to rid her mouth of its tangy, frosty taste and glanced up. Lizardclaw was curled up in a scoop in the earth near a small trickle of water that dripped into the den to provide sick cats with water. His fur looked more tangled than when he had got here and his ears were flat, but Lilyshadow could see the rising and falling of his pelt as he slept. She looked up as she heard the brushing of Spiritpetal winding her way out of the back of Patterenedflower's den, another little alcove where the medicine cat had even more herbs stored.

"Patterenedflower," Spiritpetal began as she bounded up next the three. "I moved Lizardclaw in here away from the other elders. I think his fever's getting worse." Patterenedflower dropped her feverfew and padded over to the old, brown tom cat, pressing her nose to his ears.

"You're right. Guess it's a good thing I fetched some of this," she meowed, ushering to the feverfew with her tail. That's when the small white form of Thornpaw wound her way into the den, the scent of nursery milk and sweet berries clinging to her fur. Lilyshadow recognized it from when Berrypelt stumbled out of the medicine den with it plastered to him.

"I just gave Redmarigold some juniper berries," the medicine cat apprentice meowed to her mentor as she padded in. Like Patterenedflower, she was almost all white except for a calico patch on her forehead. "We'll be needing raspberry leaves anytime now though. She'll be kitting soon." Lilyshadow shook her head. Once again, herb talk was making her head spin. Nevertheless, she gave Lizardclaw a pitiful glance and retreated out of the crowded medicine den with Stripedshadow on her heels. Just outside, they ran into a frantic Berrypelt and Snowpaw.

"Did you see Dad? How is he?" squabbled Snowpaw, her fur a flair with worry. Lilyshadow blinked.

"Spiritpetal and Thornpaw won't let us in to see him," Berrypelt explained, his face stern with concern and probably some tiredness.

"He has a fever," the black she-cat replied. "They probably don't want you to catch it. I'm sure you'll be able to see him later." Berrypelt let out an exasperated sigh that was almost a growl.

"I can't! Twistedtail's putting me on the dawn patrol." The fur around her whiskers furrowed sympathetically.

"Do you want me to go with you?" she offered. Her paws were aching from trekking want seemed like to the moors and back with Patterenedflower, but if it would make Berrypelt happy...

"I'm afraid you can't do that," came the gruff meow from behind them. They turned to see Twistedtail himself trotting towards them, his crooked tail held high in the air. "Hollowstar wants to see you," he explained, ushering to Lilyshadow. Again? She gave Berrypelt a sympathetic blink. "And you!" Twistedtail meowed, averting his gaze to Snowpaw. "The other apprentices could use your help refreshing the elder's den." Snowpaw flattened her ears but dare not argue with the Clan deputy and shuffled away on her fluffy white paws. "Come now, Berrypelt," he meowed, padding towards the bramble thicket. "And bring Icestripe with you," Twistedtail called back. With a sigh, the cream colored tom bounded off across the clearing.

Lilyshadow felt a brush on her right shoulder and turned to see Stripedshadow moving away silently. "I'll keep an eye on him," he meowed under his breath as he stalked away like the shadow he was. She flattened her ears... He was probably as exhausted as she was. She'd have to thank him for helping Berrypelt later. Without another thought, she started making her way through camp towards Hollowstar's den. Passing the fresh-kill pile, she felt her mouth water. She still hadn't eaten since yesterday. Ignoring a growl in her stomach, she convinced herself it'll have to wait.

As she approached the alcove under the Highledge overhang where Hollowstar's den was, the leader stepped out of the crevice looking as smooth and regal as ever.

"Good morning, Lilyshadow," she meowed with a flick of her tail. The ebony she-cat nodded her head politely.

"Good morning, Hollowstar."

"You seem tired?" the white-and-bark-colored leader mused. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No. Stripedshadow and I went out with Patterenedflower before sunrise to help her collect some herbs," she explained. Lilyshadow didn't tell the leader that her paws felt like boulders and she was about ready to collapse. Surprisingly, Hollowstar let out a meow of amusement.

"You sure are working hard..." she muttered. Lilyshadow blinked a couple of times. "A lot of you are actually."

"Um...who...?" the black she-cat stammered in confusion.

"You and your band of cats," she replied. "You all are working so hard for the Clan." Lilyshadow hadn't thought of it that way, but that was certainly the case. "Any particular reason why?" The question took the she-cat off-guard but she was ready to answer.

"You took us in. We're only showing our gratitude. And especially if we want to stay here, we have to learn how to fit in," she replied.

"And fitting in you are," Hollowstar went on, kneading the ground beneath her claws. Where was this conversation going...? This wasn't just idle chat again was it?

"Um...did you need something, Hollowstar?" Lilyshadow meowed softly in the most polite tone possible.

"Yes, but eat first. When you have, meet Silverpaw at the camp entrance." The leader didn't give her the chance to say anything else. She had already bounded off.

Lilyshadow didn't object and quickly made her way back to the center of the camp clearing, finding the fresh-kill pile again. Selecting a vole, she snatched it up in her jaws and plopped down into the ground not far away, holding the little brown body between her silver front paws. She took a couple enormous bites and swallowed them ravenously. As she chewed, her gaze drifted across camp to the nursery. Pearlnose, one of the queens, was outside with Hollykit with whom Hollystep was distracting by swishing his bushy tail from side-to-side. Not far away Lionfang and Moontalon sat, flanks pressed against each other, watching the kit. The ginger, lion-like tom rasped his tongue between the dark silver she-cat's ears... A beautiful sight. Lilyshadow didn't linger on the image for long and speedily devoured the rest of the vole. Just as she was lapping the remains of her meal from her jaws, the rusty-brown form of Dirtface padded over next to her.

"Where have you been?" he asked. His tone wasn't particularly hostile, but Lilyshadow wasn't sure if she liked it.

"I had to help Patterenedflower collect some herbs and now I'm about to go do something for Hollowstar," she explained. Surely her friend couldn't be cross if she was doing things for high-ranked cats?

"That's not what I mean..." he shot back. The black she-cat pressed her ears against her skull.

"Then what -"

"What are we doing here?" the dark red-and-brown tom cut her off. She was shocked by his sudden ferocity.

"What are you talking about?" she shot back, this time with a hiss in her own voice. She made sure to keep it down so as not to draw attention.

"Why are we here with the Clan cats? We're not part of ThunderClan! How long before we leave?" he asked. Lilyshadow hadn't thought of it like that at all.

"Why are you under the impression we're going to leave? If I can arrange it, this will be our life now!" she snapped, her tail lashing as she got to her paws. "What's wrong? Don't you like Clan life?"

"It's not that," he bit back. "It's just that ..." He trailed off and took a deep breath. "We're not warriors. We're not real members of ThunderClan." Lilyshadow withdrew some of her harshness.

"Right now that isn't a problem. We're all doing our best to fit in."

"We can't be thrown into a life we don't know and expect it to work," he argued, stomping a paw on the ground. Her whiskers suddenly twitched with annoyance again.

"Well when you think of a safer place to be, let me know!" she snarled and turned, bounding her way towards the camp entrance.

Silverpaw led Lilyshadow to the outskirts of camp to an area between a nestle of trees packed together to make a small, soft clearing where the ground was covered in a thick blanket of moss.

"This is the mossy hollow," he explained, waving his tail. "Mentors train their apprentices for battle here." Once again Lilyshadow noticed how the apprentice was easily as tall as she was and had such a strong build. His fur shown silver in the sunlight and was smoothed back, giving him a handsome appearance. He wouldn't remain an apprentice for long, she was sure.

"That's right, Silverpaw," came the regal voice from across the little clearing. Lilyshadow looked up to see Hollowstar sitting patiently with her tail around her paws. "And that's why we're here today." The black she-cat blinked at the ThunderClan cats.

"Are you and Silverpaw going to train?" she asked Hollowstar, tilting her head. The white-and-bark-colored leader chuckled under her breath.

"No. You and Silverpaw are going to train," she replied with a grin thrown across her muzzle.

"What?" Lilyshadow squeaked in surprise.

"If you and your cats are going to become members of ThunderClan, you're going to need to learn to fight like warriors," she explained, a twinkle like stardust in her eye. Some amount of happiness welled up inside Lilyshadow, but then a glance at Silverpaw made her shudder. She'd hate to have his claws raking through her skin.

"Don't worry," he meowed. "Claws sheathed." Her ears burned a little and she chuckled cheekily.

"Okay, Lilyshadow. Silverpaw's going to lunge at you. Just bound to the side and get a paw in on him as he goes past," instructed Hollowstar. Lilyshadow took a deep breath and readied her muscles, assuming almost a hunting-like stance. Her piercing blue eyes were on the silvery apprentice. His lips curled into a smirk and he bounded forward at her with a powerful leap. All at once her courage leapt out of her and her eyes went wide at his fury. She bolted aside as he skidded past her, turning to look at him over her shoulder with her pelt bristling.

"You can't be afraid," Hollowstar critiqued.

"At least you dodged!" Silverpaw coaxed. "Try again!" He yowled out a fake battle cry and lunged at her again. This time, even though the sight of a cat charging towards her sent a chill through her, she wove around the silver tom as he got close to her and she twisted her body the way she did when chasing a piece of prey that was trying to get away from her and aimed a paw swipe at the apprentice's flank. She barely felt his soft fur brush against the tip of her paw as he skidded past.

"Better," he beamed.

"But still too slow," came Hollowstar, this time with a smirk. "Again."

Silverpaw shot at her, paws outstretched and fangs bared as if he was actually dangerous. She bolted to his side as he reached her and pivoted like a top, pulling a paw down onto his silvery head. It had happened in a second, and when it was over she blinked at herself in surprise. Silverpaw shook his head, his ears flattened, and looked up at her with a grin.

"Wow! You did it!" he grinned.

"Nicely done," Hollowstar mused. "Now...again." Lilyshadow's ears drooped. Were all apprentices pushed like this?

Gold bursts of sun were painted throughout the sky by the time Lilyshadow trudged back into camp with almost a limp. Muscles she didn't know she had were sore! That Silverpaw was ferocious in battle! She didn't want to ever meet him on the wrong side of a skirmish. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle between Berrypelt and Stripedshadow and fall asleep, dreams or not. However it was Bearclaw who met her first. A plump sparrow was wedged between his jaws.

"I saved this for you," he meowed, dropping it at her paws. Despite the fact that she had eaten earlier that morning, she was hungry again after having trained nearly all day with Silverpaw and Hollowstar. She didn't want anyone to have to look out for her in particular, but she didn't deny the thought.

"Thanks," she meowed as she sat down, her rump dropping like it was weighed down with rocks she was so exhausted. She didn't go for the fresh-kill right away. "What is everyone up too?"

"Lionfang and Moontalon are making googly eyes at each other.."

"_Figures..."_ she thought bitterly, refraining from rolling her eyes.

"Stormpaw, Ledgepaw, and Blazetail are up to something with the apprentices."

"_Blazetail was probably up to something with a certain apprentice - namely, Ashpaw." _

"Adderstorm and Stoneflight are being lazy somewhere around camp. Cloverfur and Dirtface should be coming back from hunting any time now."

"_Good! I won't have to deal with Dirtface yet," _she sighed to herself with some relief.

"And Icestripe, Berrypelt, and Stripedshadow are still on border patrol with Twistedtail." She smiled happily to herself. Everyone was busy. Well, almost everyone. Some could probably do more. Then one more cat popped into her head. Wait...where was -

A hectic meow from across camp sprang Lilyshadow out of her thoughts.

"Snake!" came the ear-piercing yowl of Pearlnose from the nursery. Lilyshadow's eyes went wide as she and Bearclaw jumped to their paws and skirted across the clearing at top speed. She could feel the pelts of warriors around her as they rushed over as well. "Hollykit!" wailed the worried tone only a mother could carry. Lilyshadow bolted next to the nursery in time to see a sickly, black serpent weave its way out of the wall of the camp behind the nursery, not to far away from where an oblivious Hollykit played outside. Lilyshadow's heart jumped into her throat when she saw the snake rear its ugly head back and open its mouth, long sharp teeth like a cat's claws bared from its mouth. She coiled her legs like springs and was ready to jump, but another cat was faster. The black she-cat noticed a blur of white and marigold rush past her towards the kit. "Hollystep!"


	5. Chapter 4

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 4

In a rush of white and marigold-colored fur, Lilyshadow saw the strong, burly form of Hollystep soar past her and barrel his way into the slithering, black serpent. Hollykit squealed and scampered back to Pearlnose as Hollystep let out a silent hiss, baring his own fangs at the snake as he wound it around his paws and was sent into a wrestling match with its long, winding body. The two animals swirled around, rolling around the nursery entrance. Lilyshadow could hear the snapping of Hollystep's strong jaws as he tried to bite the snake in half, but the adder kept twisting its way around. It ducked out of the way of his latest assault and dove down, piercing its front teeth down into Hollystep's shoulder. The gush of blood that came from a wound was unmistakable and every cat that saw let out a gasp. The fluffy tom let out a caterwaul of pain and let the snake go, flinging it to the ground where it slithered frantically away.

A sudden surge of emotional strength blazed up through Lilyshadow's chest and it burst out with her meow.

"Adderstorm, Ghosttail, after it!" she yowled and the two cats bounded off at top speed without question.

Hollystep slunk to the ground, his body quivering as an apparent poison wound its way through his body. A trickle of bright, red liquid leaked down from his shoulder, vivid against his light-colored pelt as it turned it a sickly scarlet and started to mat.

"Let me through!" snapped the familiar yowl of Patternedflower as she shouldered her way quickly through the throng of cats to Hollystep's side. She carried a thick, chalky-colored bundle of stems in her mouth. She glanced at the wound for only a moment before gnawing off a bite of it and grinding it between her teeth to make a poultice. After mashing it up, she lathered it onto Hollystep's shoulder, working it in with a paw. Then she quickly repeated the process to add more concoction to the wound.

Lilyshadow looked on hopefully, every hair on her pelt standing on end as she gazed at the medicine cat and her friend anxiously. She could feel Bearclaw's flank pressed against hers as if to let her know it was okay. The black she-cat longed for him to pull away, but the quivering of her pelt somehow prevented her from pushing him off. She stared down in horror at Hollystep, unable to move.

Patterenedflower applied the last of her herbs to Hollystep's gushing shoulder and the other cats listened to his soft hisses as the stinging herbs soaked in. The medicine cat lowered her white head to his pelt and inhaled, but after a moment her ears flattened.

"The snakeroot isn't powerful enough," Lilyshadow heard her murmur under her breath. "The snake's poison was too strong." The black she-cat felt her own eye twitch a little and all at once felt her energy melt out of her body. There was nothing the medicine cat could do?

"The poison's got him, I'm afraid..." she meowed sadly, turning to face the cats that had gathered around the scene. Lilyshadow felt cats jump in fear around her, but she stayed put, her head low and her ears dropped. She was a statue, frozen in place with sadness, but refusing to show weakness. Her head may be down, but her shoulders were as tall as she could make them. Beside her, Bearclaw wilted.

"No! Hollystep!" came the wail of Spiritpetal as she shot past Patterenedflower to the marigold-tipped tom's side. She ran her nose through his fur, as if trying to nudge him out of sleep. "Hollystep..." She'd nudge. "Hollystep..!" She pushed him again with her nose. The light-colored tom's whiskers twitched, so little it was hardly a movement, and flicked his feathered-tip ear at his friend. He never was one to talk much... Not even now...

Her eyes screwed shut, Spiritpetal thrust her nose into his fur and nuzzled him desperately. The rest of the cat's around them seemed equally distraught, but none dared to move. She kept her nose close to his body until his yellow eyes looked from her up to the gold streaking across the sky where they took on a sightless stare.

"Hollystep!" she screeched, shoving him hard to wake him, pushing him onto his back. The light-colored tom didn't respond.

"No..." came the soft, desperate meow. Lilyshadow looked across from her to see Stoneflight looking on in disbelief. Just behind him was Blazetail, holding his tail tightly around Ashpaw as he averted both their gazes. She returned her own icy stare to her friend. Her paws trembled as she stepped forward, pressing her flank to Spiritpetal's. The white and brown-stripped she-cat sobbed as she blinked up at Lilyshadow. The ebony cat turned her silver-tipped tail over her dead friend's muzzle, fluttering his eyes close.

"Now it looks like he's asleep," she meowed softly to the other she-cat. It was then that another brown-and-white she-cat made her way to Lilyshadow's other flank. It was the strong, powerful body of Hollowstar. She touched Lilyshadow's shoulder with her tail for just a moment.

"He died a warrior's death," she meowed. "And he will be given a warrior's tribute." Lilyshadow and Spiritpetal looked up in disbelief. The ThunderClan leader turned to the throng of cats as she spoke. "Hollystep might not have been born one of us, but he died protecting our Clan. As far as I'm concerned, he joins the ranks of StarClan today as a warrior from ThunderClan!" Her words seemed inspirational and had they not been during such a situation, would've made Lilyshadow cheer.

Surprisingly, no yowl of disapproval came from ThunderClan cats. Hollowstar turned to Patterenedflower and muttered something to which the medicine cat nodded before turning away and approaching the black she-cat again.

"You displayed courage in the face of fear and sadness," she meowed, eyes glowing as if talking to her own daughter. "You have the makings of a good leader." Had she not been so distraught, Lilyshadow's ears would've burned at the compliment.

"Sorry about ordering your warrior," she muttered, thinking of how she sent Ghosttail with Adderstorm after the snake. They had just been the two cats closest to where the snake disappeared and she had acted on instinct. Hollowstar gave her a "forget-about-it" nod and wound herself away.

Patterenedflower and Thornpaw had arranged Hollystep's body in the center of the clearing to make it appear as if he truly was asleep. Watermint had been laced around his pelt, taking away the stench of death and making his fur look smooth and the wound on his shoulder was barely noticeable beneath the cobwebs that had been placed upon it. A disgusted taste welled up in her mouth knowing she had been carrying those herbs just earlier that day.

"This is what we do when a warrior dies..." came the soft mew from behind her. Despite its friendliness, she jumped before turning to see the flaming face of Flamefoot. The hunting and border patrols were returning. "His or her body is situated in the middle of camp for their love ones to sit vigil for them throughout the night and share tongues with them one last time before they move on to hunt with StarClan," he explained. He brushed his tail tip against her flank comfortingly. Lilyshadow hardly noticed. "It's impressive that he's getting a warrior's treatment. He must've done well. It's an honor to die for ThunderClan." A flame of anger ignited in her chest and she turned on the ThunderClan warrior, snapping herself away from him. Her blue gaze shot an icy stare into his green eyes.

"ThunderClan should be honored to have him die for it!" she snarled and made her way to greet the rest of the patrol.

Her sudden surge of fury gone, she explained what happened to the incoming patrols, Clan cat and non-Clan cat alike, and they all grieved. Even Jaggedtooth seemed sorry for the loss. But it was Dirtface who stopped in front of her. His stern, amber eyes locked with hers as he walked past as if to say "I told you we didn't belong here." A shiver ran down her spine as she tried to convince herself that it could've happened to any cat. Luckily, the red-and-brown tom didn't press her and moved on to pay his respects to Hollystep with Cloverfur by his side.

Lilyshadow hung her head low, weary from the day and the distress. Out of no where she felt warmth brush up against her from either side, accompanied by the softness of cats' pelts. She looked up to see Berrypelt and Stripedshadow on either side of her. Neither of them spoke a word, but they stood there for a moment before all three of them made there way to Hollystep's side. Just before they were about to sit down for a long vigil, the bramble thicket rustled as the fluffy form of Adderstorm shouldered his way in. In his jaws was the neck of a certain long, scaly, ebony viper. His pelt looked scruffy and it had a pawful of thorns in it, but no blood could be seen.

Ghosttail wound her way in after him, her yellow, moon-like eyes bright.

"You'll never guess what Adderstorm di-" she was cut off as her gaze fell on the image in the middle of camp. "Oh no..."

"No..." Adderstorm muttered, dropping the dead snake from his mouth and letting it land to his paws with a 'thud'.

"Patterenedflower couldn't do much," Lilyshadow explained in a weak tone. The white and gray tom lowered his head, showing off the outrageous black markings on his back. It looked like a shiver of frost ran through him because he tensed and shook for a moment, looking as if he was going to burst at any minute. With a loud hiss at nothing in particular, he looked up as if he was a bit calmer but it was easy to see he was hiding it all behind his sapphire-blue eyes.

"At least his death won't go un-avenged," he meowed, ushering to the dead adder.

"Well done, Adderstorm," Stripedshadow muttered softly as if he was the only one who could speak anymore.

Some cat explained the vigil to the others. Lilyshadow wasn't sure if it was her or some Clan cat. Everyone's words, pelts, and scents blended together. Her mind was foggy and she couldn't concentrate on anything. Crouching down beside the body of her friend, she pressed her nose into his fur. He rank of watermint with death underneath. Hardly anymore did he smell like Hollystep.

He was receiving a warrior's tribute. Lilyshadow couldn't help but to notice that cats, ThunderClan and non-ThunderClan alike, were gathering around his body. Pearlnose and Hollykit grieved between Berrypelt and Lionfang as if they all been born in the same place. A thought struck her. If she died, would she be treated this way? Icy chills ran down her spin and dripped off the end of her tail as the warm pelts of Berrypelt and Stripedshadow on either side of her made her think of them. If they died, would they get this treatment? She flattened ear ears immediately, as if to crush the thought; she didn't want to think about them dying. But...would they? Were they becoming warriors? Were they becoming Clan cats?

She inhaled the sharp scent around Hollystep's body and she breathed into him, wishing her breath would wake him up.

"_Thank you," _she thought gently. "_You may have put our paws on the right path."_

The nudging from the flank next to her made her move. Her eyes darted open, the bright sunlight making her pupils sting at first. She hadn't really been asleep, but in more like a trance with her eyes closed as she had sat down with her nose in Hollystep's fur all night.

It had been Berrypelt who nudged her into awareness and she noticed his large, dark-blue eyes giving her a blatant stare.

"What?" she asked, slightly more sharply than intended. Luckily the cream-colored tom didn't seem to mind.

"You were there all night. Did you fall asleep?" he asked, flicking an ear. He too looked exhausted, probably from both lack of sleep and excessive depression.

"Not really. I was just thinking and sort of...praying..." she murmured. Words flowed from her muzzle without her actually thinking about it. At least if she was going to make a slip up, it'd be near Berrypelt and better him than someone else.

"To StarClan?" he asked calmly. She blinked her icy blue eyes a couple times, thinking.

"I think so," she almost chuckled.

"Praying isn't going to bring Hollystep back," came the frustrated meow as a certain dirty-looking red-and-brown tom made his way towards him. Lilyshadow's ears folded back defensively as she glared at Dirtface.

"Neither is acting like you've got bees in your fur!" she spat, the silver tip of her tail lashing. Dirtface let out a 'hmph' sound and started nosing his way through the fresh-kill pile. Overlooking him, Lilyshadow noticed the group of elders trudging slowly towards them and Hollystep's limp form.

"We'll take it from here," meowed Crackedfang, a pale yellow she-cat with a broken smile, as she hobbled over. Apparently, she was the oldest cat in ThunderClan. The other two elders, Ridgeclaw (a silver tom with brown paws) and Earthear (a brown and white splotched tom with a missing ear), came up behind her with solemn faces. That's right... It was morning, which meant it was time for the elders to bury the body of the fallen warrior. Lilyshadow blinked a couple times and felt her tail quiver. It was then that Berrypelt nudged her again and both of them looked away as the elders took their friend away for burial.

"You should get some rest," he meowed to her. "I'm sure Twistedtail won't send you out for anything." At once, the ebony she-cat shook her arrow-shaped head.

"I'd prefer distraction to sleep," she murmured. She was exhausted and felt like she could curl up to sleep for a moon, but that would only give way to dreams, probably nightmares, that would only make her more tired anyway. Suddenly, a summoning meow rang out through the hollow. Lilyshadow, along with many other cats, turned to see Hollowstar bounding up onto the Highledge above her den.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" It was the ceremonial yowl leaders used to summon their Clan for news. Lilyshadow wondered if it meant her and her other friends as well. It didn't matter. They were there and they were going to listen anyway.

"It has been many sunrises since the strangers have joined us here and camp, and for the most part all has gone well," she spoke down into the throng of cats.

"_A nice way to start," _thought Lilyshadow.

"Despite having not been born here, many of them have found places they fit in in camp. Patterenedflower tells me that Spiritpetal is like having a second medicine cat apprentice. Apparently Moontalon has taken a liking to the nursery and taking care of the kits. Lizardclaw fits in with the elders despite his ill-fated spurt of sickness. And all of them help feed the Clan as if they had always been a part of it." Lilyshadow flicked her tail; she liked where this was going.

"You're not going to make them part of ThunderClan are you?" came the sudden yowl of Jaggedtooth from somewhere at the front of the clearing. Lilyshadow held back a retort that would have been something to the effect of them already being practically Clan cats.

Hollowstar raised her tail for silence, shooting a warning stare at her warrior.

"No," she meowed calmly. Lilyshadow's heart sank. "But I am going to create a milestone for them on the path to becoming warriors," she went on. "Yesterday showed me something - that these cats are willing to fight for us! The problem is that they need to know how to fight for us." Lilyshadow and Berrypelt exchanged looks of uncertainty. "From here on, the new cats will be taken to the mossy hollow in groups to practice their fighting moves. Twistedtail will still be dividing everyone up into border, hunting, and battle patrols as usual."

"_So that's why she took me training yesterday," _Lilyshadow told herself. "_She wanted to see if any of us had any potential." _

"Now this does not particularly mean that these cats are a part of ThunderClan," Hollowstar drawled on. A slight pang of resentment stabbed Lilyshadow in the chest. So they were going to work for, hunt for, and fight for ThunderClan, but they couldn't be called official warriors? "They will still be sleeping in the middle of camp, and Stormpaw, Ledgepaw, and Snowpaw will not receive mentors, but they still are to be treated with..." She narrowed her bright amber eyes. "...respect," she finished and leapt down from the Highledge without another word. It was instead the rough meow of Twistedtail that rang out next.

"Dawnstorm, Rippedpaw, Mouseear, Adderstorm, and Stoneflight will go on a hunting patrol. The border patrol going towards WindClan territory will be Icestripe, Flamefoot, Ashpaw, and Ledgepaw. Bearclaw, Stormpaw, and I will go along the ShadowClan border. And Lionfang, Dirtface, and Blazetail are to accompany Ghosttail, Foxface, Jaggedtooth and Bristlepaw for battle practice." He began to prowl towards the camp entrance as the clearing bustled to life with activity. Lilyshadow flicked an ear curiously and padded up to him quickly.

"What about me Twistedtail?" she asked, raising a silver-coated front paw.

"You should stay in camp and rest," he meowed, shooting her a stern glare.

"But I want to do something!" she insisted, waving her tail back and forth. The old tabby turned a battle-scarred muzzle to her before flicking a chipped ear.

"Fine, go on the hunting patrol then," he growled.

"I'll go with you," came the accompanying meow of Berrypelt who had padded up next to her, but Twistedtail was on him faster.

"You should be resting too, but if you must make yourself useful then join the battle practice. We have enough cats hunting as it is." At once Berrypelt took a step back and flicked a cautious cream-colored ear at the ThunderClan deputy before giving a nod. Lilyshadow's whiskers furrowed and she blinked appreciatively at him before bounding off towards the bramble tunnel.

The hunting patrol was somewhat deep into the forest when they stopped and Dawnstorm raised her massive, yellow paw as she looked at her group of cats.

"Stoneflight, Rippedpaw, and I will go this way," she meowed. "You three can head that way."

"If it's okay, I'll check out the area around here," Lilyshadow piped in, weaving her tail in the air around her. She didn't feel like having to deal with other cats while hunting today. The older, tailless she-cat flicked a curious ear, looking at Lilyshadow for a moment before nodding her head and bounding off into the bushes behind her with Stoneflight and her apprentice on her heels. Mouseear took off right a way but Adderstorm hung back a moment longer to cast the black she-cat a strange look, then went after the small gray she-cat.

Lilyshadow dropped herself down to the ground with her belly less than a mouse-length from touching the forest floor. Her ears folded back against her head as she lifted her nose to the air in attempts of catching prey-scent, but the aroma of cat lingered in the area which probably scared all the prey away. Patiently, she crouched lower into the grass and waited.

It was sometime later that her ears swiveled towards a rustling in the brush. Her icy eyes darted towards it and her mouth parted to catch a whiff of mouse. She stalked ever so slowly in that direction, making sure to keep her tail low without having it touch the ground. Through the blades of grass she made out the small furry shape of a rodent cleaning its tiny face with scrunched up paws. She was a few fox-lengths away from it, so she took another step forward. No sooner than she had put her paw down, a loud swishing noise reverberated through the forest as a cat with a blazing pelt bolted towards her and skidded to a stop by her side. By now the mouse had already disappeared into a safe haven somewhere.

She growled and rolled her eyes as she looked up to see Flamefoot, his large, black-tipped feathered ears pert as he gazed at her.

"What are you doing here?" he grinned.

"I went on the hunting patrol," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And you just cost me a mouse!" He flattened his ears cheekily.

"Sorry about that," the flaming tom mewed. "Don't worry. You'll find another one." The black she-cat swiped a silver paw at him, agitated.

"If you hadn't snuck up on me like that I would have to find one less!" she snarled. The red warrior pulled back a little, raising a white paw in front of his chest.

"Geez! Someone's got bees in their fur this morning!" he exclaimed, his whiskers twitching in amusement. The black she-cat let out a loud sigh.

"Aren't you supposed to be on a border patrol? _And _have an apprentice to look after?" The orange tom cat blinked a couple times before chuckling awkwardly and bounding back into the forest. "Finally!" Lilyshadow hissed under her breath as she dropped back down into the brush.

Uncoiling her hind legs like springs, she bolted forward with lighting-fast speed and felt her claws barely skid past the fluffy tail of the rabbit that darted away. She let out a frustrated snarl and made a dash after it, but the furry little creature zigzagged in ways she couldn't match. It bulleted away in its outrageous pattern of escape before making a beeline away. Legs pounding, she flew after it. Suddenly, a musty, windy smell hit her nostrils and she skidded to a stop, letting the hare run on.

"Hey!" Lilyshadow pivoted to see where the yowl had come from to see a dusty-looking tabby tom. His pelt was the light color of sand with a few jagged patterns along it, somehow making him looking wilder and fiercer than she guessed he was, and his tail was long to match his tall, feathered ears. He leapt gracefully over a large log that had fallen in their territory and quickly made his way towards the black she-cat. Behind him was a white-gray tom with greasy-looking fur and a small ginger tabby she-cat. Lilyshadow lifted her nose. They carried the scents of the open moor on their pelts. "_WindClan cats,"_ she realized.

"What are you doing here?" snapped the sandy tom. His tail was low and aggressive and Lilyshadow noticed his claws slipping out of their sheathes. She held back a gulp as she sniffed the wind slightly and looked around.

"I didn't cross the border," she meowed calmly. "I was just chasing a rabbit, but when it went over into your territory I let it go." The WindClan cats gave her a strange look.

"You were going to cross over," retorted the musty white tom with a flick of his ear. "If we hadn't stopped you."

"I would not have!" she shot back, fur bristling.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before..." the dusty tom rumbled, quickly changing the flow of conversation. Lilyshadow's eyes darted back to him.

"I'm new," she replied, narrowing her icy gaze. He stared back at her, the fur along his spine standing on end. His eyes also had a frost-bitten haze to them.

"You sure you want to pick a fight, ThunderClan kitty? You're outnumbered," he bit back, his long tail lashing back and forth. Lilyshadow could see his lean muscles arch and coil up as if he was ready to strike. _ThunderClan_ kitty?

"Are you sure you want to pick a fight?" came the retort from a ways off in a smooth voice like a snake slinking through the grass. The cats looked up to see Stripedshadow bounding towards them through the brush in ThunderClan territory. Lilyshadow's eyes lit up at the sight of her friend and she suddenly let her fur lay flat. "She's not as outnumbered as you think," he added with a smirk, lashing his feathery tail as he flanked her in a quick, silent movement.

"Another new cat?" the white tom meowed. "ThunderClan must be growing." His words sounded like a compliment, but Lilyshadow could see the wariness in his eyes. Meanwhile the sandy tom sunk his claws into the earth in agitation.

"Stay away from the border, ThunderClan kitties!" he hissed. "Or I'm going to have something to say about it." He turned and began to pad away but stopped to look over his sharp shoulder. "Name's Desertwing. Don't forget it." With that he beckoned the other two cats in his patrol with a flick of his tail and sprinted off towards the moors not far away.

"Let's go, Littlepaw," meowed the white tom as he looked at his apprentice before darting off.

"Coming, Mustypelt," she mewed, bolting off after him.

"Whoa," Lilyshadow exclaimed as she watched the WindClan cats disappear. "They're fast."

"Yeah," Stripedshadow agreed casually. "But I'm faster," he added with a swish of his tail. Lilyshadow imagined the smirk on his muzzle without looking at him.

"Thanks for showing up when you did," she meowed gratefully to her friend. "If you hadn't, they probably would've shredded me to pieces right then and there!"

"You would've gotten away," the dark shadow of a cat said passively with a shrug. Then she twitched her nose as if remembering something.

"Those cats thought we were ThunderClan!" she exclaimed, small traces of excitement brimming from her pelt. Once again, Stripedshadow shrugged lazily. The black she-cat ignored his being apathetic behavior and sighed loudly, dropping her ears.

"At this rate, I'm never going to catch anything!" She felt Stripedshadow's large emerald eyes blinking at her a couple times before he answered.

"I'll help."

Stripedshadow and Lilyshadow met up with the rest of the hunting patrol before returning back to camp. When they pushed their way through the bramble tunnel, the ebony tabby tom carried three mice in his teeth by their tails. Lilyshadow's eyes flashed with jealousy because she only had two.

"_It would have been three if it hadn't been for Flamefoot," _she reminded herself. Tired and hungry, she dropped her catches onto the fresh-kill pile behind Stripedshadow before nosing her way through the whole pile to find something for herself.

"Want to eat with me?" she asked him tiredly. Her sleepiness had made her more longing for the company. Earlier she had wanted to be alone, but now she wouldn't mind having another cat's pelt pressed against hers. Unfortunately, the shadowy tom shook his head.

"I'll probably have night patrol," he pointed out. Lilyshadow's ears flattened.

"But you just-"

"I wasn't supposed to be out of camp," he cut her off. "I was supposed to be resting." She caught the smirk on his muzzle before he bounded off.

"_Super cat,"_ she growled playfully to herself and rolled her eyes as she selected a blackbird from the fresh-kill pile.

"Hey," came a mew from her left. She looked up to see Bearclaw, a large, goofy grin on his muzzle.

"Hey..." she replied lazily through her mouthful of bird.

"Want to eat with me?" he asked, ears perked hopefully. Normally she'd make some excuse about being busy, but at the moment she was too hungry to care. Nodding her head she waited for Bearclaw to snatch himself up a vole before the two padded off a little and settled down next to each other to eat. Yanking off charcoal-colored feathers with her teeth, Lilyshadow felt his tail drape across her haunches as he took a bite out of his prey. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her ear twitching in an annoyed fashion. Was he just doing that like it was nothing? Plunging her teeth into her blackbird and ripping the meat off, she politely brushed his tail away with her own. She felt him give her a look, but refused to look up.

"_Ignore him, Lilyshadow," _she told herself, closing her eyes as she quickly devoured the rest of her blackbird.

Just as she was nosing through the feathers for any signs of remaining meat, a blur of white dashed across the camp clearing. Lilyshadow's eyes darted up just in time to see Thornpaw blurring across the hollow towards the medicine den.

"Patterenedflower!" the medicine cat's apprentice wailed. "It's Redmarigold! She's kitting!" The black she-cat's eyes blinked widely and she looked at Bearclaw for a moment before both of them pushed themselves to their paws. She don't know why, but her face lit up. Redmarigold was going to have her kits!

By the time Thornpaw, Spiritpetal, and Patterenedflower had forced their way in to see Redmarigold, the whole of ThunderClan had gathered around the bramble bush and its thick, protective roots that made up the nursery to see what was going on, but the medicine cats wouldn't let anyone in - anyone except Jaggedtooth, the father. A twinge whisked through Lilyshadow's whiskers at the thought. She felt bad for any kit who was fathered by Jaggedtooth of all cats!

"This is so exciting!" Cloverfur beamed next to her, her tail writhing back and forth.

"_I guess it is..."_ Lilyshadow told herself. "_With death comes new life."_ For a moment she thought about Hollystep, but then shook it away like a fly in her ear.

"One day, we'll have beautiful kits too," came the wistful meow from next to her as Bearclaw pressed his muzzle against hers. Her eyes went wide as her ears folded back against her skull, feeling as if they were on fire. At once she pulled away, stammering.

"W-w-wha...w-what are you talking about?" The muscular tabby tom gave her a sheepish green and stroked her flank with his tail. It sent a disgusting chill through her and she slapped his tail away with her own. Instead she focused on the thought of new life being brought into ThunderClan and the joy it would bring. They'd be so cute to see!... The thought wasn't distracting her... Suddenly, she blinked and looked around. She sniffed, but a smell was missing. Someone who would love an occasion like this wasn't there. Silently and cautiously she slipped away, out through the throng of cats, and inhaled as she searched for a specific scent. Where was he?

Her nose led her to the medicine den. Pushing her way inside the rock crevice, her blue gaze immediately fell on a gloomy Berrypelt drooped over his father who was still curled up in the dip in the earth where Patterenedflower let sick cats slip in her den. Lilyshadow could feel the heat from here radiating from the old brown tom.

"His fever's getting worse..." Berrypelt meowed quietly without looking up at his friend. The black she-cat blinked her eyes sympathetically and padded up him.

"You shouldn't be in here. You're going to get whatever he has!" she frowned. The cream-colored tom looked away as if he had no answer. "Don't you want to see Redmarigold's kits!" she exclaimed in an attempt to change the subject. He shrugged carelessly. Lilyshadow rolled her eyes and sighed. "You at least have to eat!" she scolded and head-butted his shoulder, nudging him towards the medicine den entrance. His tail lashed for a moment before he blinked his dark blue eyes and gave in, shoving out of the rock crevice. The black she-cat was about to follow him when she heard a sound whizzing in her ear, like a very gentle breeze.

_"You have more important things to worry about than a couple deaths and a couple lives..." _

She whirled around quickly, but saw no one in the medicine den except a sleeping Lizardclaw. But a deep dread in her chest dropped into her stomach when she realized she recognized that voice.

_"Ivystrike...?"_


	6. Chapter 5

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 5

Lilyshadow rubbed her arrow-like head against the rough, but sweet-smelling bark of the large tree has she wound her lean body around it, her icy blue eyes glistening in the darkness with silverpelt overhead being the only thing to guide her eyesight.

_"Blood is boiling with deception, Lilyshadow," _came the ghostly meow, sounding so close that it made the tiny hairs inside her ear tickle. She whisked herself around in an instant, only to meet darkness.

_"You need to hurry...before ice blankets the forest!" _The black she-cat's ears shot up again and once more she pivoted towards the source of the meow. This time, shocking emerald eyes met hers, far too close for comfort. In an instance she realized she was snout-to-snout with a cat the color of midnight. She squeaked and jumped back, blinking a couple times before she recognized Ivystrike. For a moment, words caught in her mouth. Then they started sputtering out.

"Ivystrike! It's you! I need to know who the prophecy is about! What is the deception? What is 'the four' and 'the six'? What is -"

_"StarClan can not give you the answers you seek,"_ the starlit cat cut off the young ebony feline before stepping behind a tree and bounding off into the night.

"What?" she shrieked. "No! Wait up!" Scrambling to her feet, she bolted after the StarClan warrior. Her powerful hind legs pumped as she practically flew through the forest, dodging trees this way and that. Scent told her that his tail was just beyond her nose, but his pelt blended into the night despite the starlit footprints he left in his wake.

"Ivystrike! Wait!" she yowled out as she sped after him, weaving between the trunks of the mighty trees. She could practically feel the hairs on the tip of his tail brushing against her nose but he wouldn't slow down, and he was just out of her reach. "Wait for me!" she screeched.

_"I'm sorry. I can't help you."_

"Lilyshadow!" came the sharp meow in her ear. Her eyes flashed open and she shot up from her curled up position in the throng of cats in the middle of the ThunderClan camp. The fur along her spine was bristling angrily and she took a deep breath, willing her fur to lie flat. She looked to her right to see the cat who had hissed at her, Stripedshadow.

"What?" she meowed back, lowering her head as if it would make her voice any quieter to keep herself from waking her friends.

"You were mewling in your sleep," he mumbled, flicking an ear at her. "Why does Ivystrike have to wait on you?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he had witnessed her dream himself.

"Because..." she began but was cut off by a yawn. "...he knows about the prophecy!" The black tabby furrowed the fur above his eyes to give Lilyshadow an inquisitive look. "The dream that Patterenedflower and I had!" she exclaimed and batted softly at his ear, slightly agitated for having to explain. She hadn't ever told Stripedshadow that she had had the same dream as the ThunderClan medicine cat, until now, but he looked at her as if he had known the whole time. If he hadn't, he didn't let on. The tom shook his head before blinking at her.

"You mean the one about Spiritpetal?" he questioned. For a moment, Lilyshadow's disposition seemed to falter as her ears drooped slightly.

"Yes..." she replied in a distant voice. Knowingly, Stripedshadow flicked his tail.

"You don't think it's about Spiritpetal?" he pressed.

"I don't know!" the black she-cat groaned, hiding her face beneath her paws. "But what I'm wondering is, why would StarClan send me dreams if the prophecy is about another cat?"

"Ssh! You two could wake up the whole forest!"

Lilyshadow looked over her shoulder to see a groggy Lionfang poking his mane-like head up over Moontalon's sleeping body to glare at the two shadowy felines. Lilyshadow stifled a _'mreow'_ of amusement as the ginger tom settled back into sleep and she exchanged a look with Stripedshadow. He rolled his eyes and blinked once at her as if to say 'let it go' and wisped his tail over his nose to return to his own dream land...if that cat ever actually dreamed.

Carefully, the black she-cat got to her paws. There was no way she was ever going to be able to get back to sleep. Instead, winding her way around the mass of her sleeping friends, she made her way to the front of the camp. Not really sure where her paws were taking her, she tiredly looked up to realize that she was standing beneath the Highledge. Blinking at it a couple times with her tired, cold eyes, she neared her nose to the entrance of Hollowstar's den without thinking. She was about to push her way inside when a voice stopped her paws mid-step.

"You say you had it again just recently?" Hollowstar's mew said in a slightly surprised tone.

"Yes, but this time Spiritpetal said she had a similar dream as well," came another, gentle meow. Patterenedflower?

_"Wait! What dream?"_ Lilyshadow thought. _"My dream?"_

"She says she feels in her heart that it's not her," she heard the medicine cat go on. Something caused a shiver to run through the black she-cat's pelt as she heard this. Spiritpetal wasn't the cat in the prophecy after all! She was right!

"Then who do you feel it is?" Hollowstar meowed.

"I wish I knew..." Patterenedflower said with a saddened tone. Lilyshadow imagined her head hanging.

"I believe I have a feeling..." she heard Hollowstar muse. "Come in, Lilyshadow." At the leader's beckon, the black she-cat's ears flattened against her skull and burned madly as she pushed her way into the leader's den.

"Sorry for eavesdropping, Hollowstar," the ebony cat meowed in a humble tone, bowing her head.

"I'm sure you didn't have that intention," chuckled the leader in an amused voice as she flicked her tail. "What's on your mind?" Lilyshadow looked up at the medicine cat and then back at Hollowstar.

"I've had the same dream, Hollowstar!" the black cat meowed immediately and for a moment, she was surprised at how easily the truth burst from her muzzle. "And I just had another one. Ivystrike says we're running out of time!" The leader and the medicine cats exchanged concerned looks at Lilyshadow's anxiousness.

"Whose Ivystrike?" Patterenedflower asked softly. Now that she thought about it, Lilyshadow realized that she knew very little about the tom that walked in her dreams.

"A StarClan cat. He has a pelt just like mine and his eyes are green," she replied. Once again, Patterenedflower and Hollowstar looked at each other with knowing eyes. Lilyshadow blinked rapidly back and forth between the two she-cats. She felt so unknowing in their presence, and they were making it worse! As usual, she was lost.

"What do you think it means by 'the four'?" she asked quickly before the two high-ranked cats could think of something else before she could.

"We're not sure," Hollowstar mewed, shaking her head solemnly.

"We're not really sure of anything," added the medicine cat with a tired shake of her head. "But we do know this: the prophecy says 'before ice blankets the forest'... That must mean before it snows," she explained, getting to her paws as if that added something to her statement or it helped her think. "Which means we have until leaf-bare to figure this out." Leaf-bare? Lilyshadow tilted her senses to the air around her. It was still warm enough to be called greenleaf, but the colder nights hinted that leaf-fall would be on its way soon.

"Then we have plenty of time to figure this out," Hollowstar meowed suddenly with a flick of her tail. "There is no point in fretting over it now." With that the white-and-bark-colored leader rose to her paws and pushed her way out of the entrance of her den, beckoning with her tail for the other two she-cats to follow. With an ache in her paws, Lilyshadow lifted herself up and followed the ThunderClan leader. Was there really nothing to fret? Then why did she feel like there was?

She felt the pelt of Patterenedflower brushing against her tail as the medicine cat stepped out of the rock crevice behind her, but almost immediately the ears of all three she-cats perked up as a streak of white blurred across the clearing and skidded to a stop in front of them, rustling several cats awake as it did.

"Patterenedflower! It's Lizardclaw!" exclaimed Thornpaw as she gasped for breath. "You have to come!" The medicine cat apprentice was practically prancing in place on her paws, waiting for her mentor to follow. Without word or question, the almost all-white she-cat bounded off after her apprentice.

"Tell Berrypelt and Snowpaw," Hollowstar meowed softly before quickly making her way after her medicine cats. Lilyshadow gave a curt nod before turning towards her throng of cats and scanning for her cream-colored friend. It wasn't long before she found him waking up next to Adderstorm and Dirtface. Before she even spoke, Lilyshadow could see the distress on his face as if he already knew something was going on.

"Berrypelt, it's your dad," she meowed quickly, stopping in front of him and not even bothering to put a paw down she was so strung up on anxiety. His fur bristled before his ears folded back against his head and he got to his feet quickly.

"Is he worse?" came the soft meow just beyond them. They turned to look at Snowpaw as the smaller, cream-colored she-cat glided towards them on white paws, clumsy from sleepland.

"Yes," Lilyshadow said sadly but curtly. "You two need to come on," she added, pointing towards the medicine den with her silver tail-tip. The two pale cats shot off effortlessly, leaving Dirtface and Adderstorm to groggily pull their eyes open. Lilyshadow's icy gaze glared at the pair of them.

"What's going on?" Adderstorm meowed sleepily, yawning loudly to show his teeth.

"None of your business!" the black she-cat hissed. "Go back to sleep!" She didn't give the toms a chance to say anything else to her because she was already working her way towards Patternedflower's den. She heard ebbing voices as she walked away.

"What's her problem?" Dirtface grumbled out, followed by the sound of a paw whizzing through the air and smacking a cat's face.

"Be nice!" Lilyshadow heard the voice of Cloverfur and smirked to herself, grateful to the white, orange-pointed she-cat.

When Lilyshadow reached the alcove that made the medicine den, she arrived to see Spiritpetal standing between Berrypelt and Snowpaw and the entrance.

"I'm sorry! But I can't let you in! Patterenedflower says he's highly contagious!" she meowed frantically, her ears swiveled sideways to show her regret.

"Well you guys are in there!" Snowpaw exclaimed, stomping a snowy front paw.

"We're medicine cats. We have an immunity," the brown-and-white she-cat explained.

"You're no medicine cat!" bit back Berrypelt, his lithe tail lashing back and forth angrily. For a moment, Spiritpetal looked taken aback and her whiskers quivered slightly. Lilyshadow lowered her arrow-like head as she approached; she could already feel the bristling ebbing from her friend's pelt.

"No need to snap..." she meowed quietly as she flanked him. The small tom said nothing and brushed his gaze away from the medicine den. That was when Patterenedflower emerged from the crevice, a mingled scent of sickness and herbs wafting from her.

"He has a terrible fever. I've never seen a cat get something like this in the middle of greenleaf!" she exclaimed. "Feverfew's not working. We need something stronger."

"Lavender?" Spiritpetal piped up, looking at the almost all-white she-cat. If the moment had been nicer, Lilyshadow would've been pressed by her brown-and-white friend.

"Exactly," Patterenedflower nodded. "Problem is, I'm out and the only lavender that I know of grows in ShadowClan territory." Lilyshadow felt the fur on the back of her neck stand up at the sheer mention of ShadowClan. "We'll have to ask Whispernose for some..." Lilyshadow guessed that Whispernose was the ShadowClan medicine cat.

"I'll go!" she heard Berrypelt volunteer at once, rushing to stand on his paws.

"Me too!" Snowpaw added almost immediately only to be turned on by her older brother.

"It's too dangerous. Stay here," he meowed in his more usual gentle tone. At once the young she-cat's whiskers furrowed with resentment.

"But I want to-"

"Your brother's right, Snowpaw," Patterenedflower interrupted. "The fewer cats the better. It'll look less like a raid party that way." She looked directly at Berrypelt. "I'll send Thornpaw to go with you. She knows the ShadowClan medicine cat and his apprentice." He gave a quick nod. "But you'll have to wait 'til morning..."

"What? My father can't wait 'til morning!" the cream-colored tom shot back.

"Rest up... And go in the morning!" meowed the medicine cat dominantly, narrowing her green eyes at the small tom before turning and pushing her way back into her den, quickly followed by Spiritpetal. Berrypelt let out an exasperated sigh and flattened his ears. Lilyshadow nudged Snowpaw away, telling the young she-cat that the best thing she could do now was get some sleep, before turning back to her tom friend.

"You should eat something. It'll be sunrise soon," she meowed. At first the small tom didn't say anything. With a frustrated growl, Lilyshadow nudged him to his paws and towards the fresh-kill pile. "Go. Eat," she demanded. He glanced at her over his shoulder and cast her a look. She wasn't entirely sure if it was a glare or not, but the slap upside her head with his tail assured her it couldn't have been ill-meant. Convincing him to eat a mouse, she settled down next to him and crossed her paws, glancing up at silverpelt as her friend next to her ate.

"You think Hollystep's up there?" she asked out of no where. He glanced up with his dark blue eyes, a muzzle-full of meat in his jaws. The tom blinked a couple times before swallowing and glancing at the swath of stars.

"I guess..." he mused. Lilyshadow lowered her face. "Maybe your dad will be up there too." Her mew was soft and attempting to be gentle, but she convinced herself it didn't work as he took another bite of mouse, probably so he wouldn't have to say anything back.

It felt like just moments later the nudging of a warm, silver paw was prodding him awake. He slowly opened his dark sapphire eyes but had to rub a paw over them a couple times to get them working. Letting out a humongous yawn, he glanced sideways at the she-cat next to him.

"It's sunrise," she muttered softly. He flatted his ears at the word, not really wanting to get up. "Thornpaw will be waiting on you." Then he remembered... He would be fetching lavender from ShadowClan today. He lifted his chin up off his paws only to dig his claws into the earth beneath him because he could. Pushing himself up, he forced himself into a back-arching stretch before shaking his pelt. Next to him he heard an amused giggle from a certain black she-cat and gave her a tired look. She jumped up next to him, appearing as if she had been awake for quite a while already.

_"She probably never went to sleep," _he thought.

"You think you're going to be okay today?" she asked.

_"She stayed up worrying about me..."_

"I suppose..." he replied as the pair made their way to the camp entrance.

"I wish I could go with you," Lilyshadow meowed under her breath. He cast her a sideways glance, forcing himself to shrug.

_"Yeah, me too," _he thought quickly.

"You ready, Berrypelt?" asked Thornpaw, swiveling her white ears towards the calico patch on her forehead.

_"No." _

"Yeah, let's go," he meowed, standing as tall as a small tom could.

"I'll see you when you get back," meowed Lilyshadow as she gave him a friendly nuzzle. He felt the fuzzy hairs inside her ear tickle his whiskers as she flicked them when she pulled away. His eyes blinked a couple times before he turned and pushed his way through the bramble tunnel.

Outside camp, he shook the thorns from his creamy pelt and listened as Thornpaw slid out behind him.

"Don't worry," she beamed, prancing ahead. "Most ShadowClan cats may seem like foxdung, but Whispernose and Slenderpaw are nice!"

_"Slenderpaw must be the ShadowClan medicine cat's apprentice,"_ Berrypelt told himself.

"I just hope they give us some lavender," he claimed as he followed the apprentice's pawsteps, thoughts of his father back in camp flooding his mind.

"As long as he has enough, I'm sure he will," Thornpaw gleamed.

"How can you be so sure?" the cream-colored tom shot back quickly, and he only just now realized how quickly he had come to judge other Clan cats.

"Medicine cats usual aren't held to the same standard as warriors. We promise to take care of all cats as well as our Clan," the medicine cat apprentice explained. Berrypelt's ears twitched at the thought. Now he saw what Spiritpetal saw in the job. No confrontation.

As they wove their way through the green trees of the forest, Berrypelt shut his muzzle so they could travel in silence but he found it difficult with the energetic apprentice by his side. She bounded this way and that, zigzagging across their path and causing a crunching sound wherever her paws landed in the dirt.

Thornpaw was going on about some kind of strange herb she had heard about when Berrypelt broke the threshold of the wood and stuck his head out into a clearing. He immediately recognized it as the one he, Lilyshadow, Adderstorm, Icestripe, Foxface, Flamefoot, Ashpaw, and Rippedpaw had visited on his first border patrol. By now he wasn't as tired as he had been when he reached this clearing the first time. His paws had got used to the trekking so now his only tiredness came from his slight lack of sleep last night. Despite that, the sun gazing down on the open area warmed the grass and some part of him wish he could curl up in the center of the clearing and take a nap.

"Do you want to rest?" Thornpaw asked suddenly, popping out of the brush next to him and trotting into the clearing. It was a nice, mature offer from such a young cat, but as much Berrypelt wanted too, he knew that they'd make better time otherwise.

"No. We should keep going," he replied, trudging through the open area, wishing he could make every pawstep on the warm grass last.

"Alright," Thornpaw shrugged and bounded after him.

It wasn't long after they had left the clearing when Berrypelt smelt the familiar, moldy, boggy tang of ShadowClan cats tickling his nose.

"Ugh!" he hissed, wrinkling up his nose and jabbing it with a paw.

"Yeah, I know," Thornpaw agreed with a slight hint of disgust as her whiskers twitched at smell. "Come on."

The two cats worked their way down the slope of the forest where the earth beneath their paws gave way from soft moss to boggy ground blanketed with fallen pine straw.

"We're crossing into ShadowClan territory now," the young medicine cat apprentice declared. "We should find a patrol to take us to their camp soon." Berrypelt didn't know how much he liked being drug into a foreign camp by a pact of warrior cats, but then he reminded himself that it wasn't too long ago he had welcomed the situation and he brushed the thought away.

They hadn't been across a border for a few minutes before the sounds of yowling cats made them whiplash their heads in another direction to see marshy-smelling cats bounding towards them.

"Why are you crossing the border?" came the immediate hiss of a familiar cinder-colored tom, his twisted jaw jutting out awkwardly as he growled. Berrypelt recognized him as Brokennose, the ShadowClan warrior he had encountered on his first border patrol. Running up behind him, quickly but not nearly as anxiously, was a white tom with smoky-gray stripes down his back and a jet-black she-cat with unnaturally silver eyes, both of whom Berrypelt didn't recognize.

"Keep your fur on, Brokennose!" Thornpaw bit back, rather calmly and forwardly for an apprentice. "We need to see Whispernose for some herbs." Brokennose's eyes darted between the young she-cat and her companion a couple times, but the white and gray tom next to him almost at once let his fur lay flat.

"Calm down, Brokennose," he meowed coolly, holding his tail up between the ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats. His voice carried through the trees like it demanded attention, as if the leaves even stopped rustling for him to speak, but his calmness let Berrypelt's fur lose its irritated ruffle. "We'll escort you to camp," he said with a nod to Thornpaw.

_"He must know she's a medicine cat,"_ thought the cream-colored tom.

"Thank you, Ashstripe," Thornpaw meowed sweetly, politely nodding her head as they made their way further down the slope and into ShadowClan territory and the border patrol made a makeshift circle around them. "He's the ShadowClan deputy," she whispered to him as if he was wondering. He flicked his ear to let her know he had heard but said nothing.

The ShadowClan border patrol led Thornpaw and Berrypelt deeper into their territory where the pine trees hung at sickly angles, dead moss dripping from the bark from strangely low branches. The ground was covered in a boggy softness that clung disgustingly to his paws and dragged him down deep into the mud with every step. He flattened his ears, revolted as he laboriously pulled to uproot his paws from the ground. Glancing at the ShadowClan cats, he watched as they took high pawsteps to keep from getting stuck in the ground. Try as he could, he couldn't keep from getting bogged down and wondered how these cats lived like this. It seemed like forever before Ashstripe stopped them and looked at the other cats over his shoulder.

"Alright, we're about to enter camp," he meowed.

"Yeah so keep your noses to yourself," Brokennose spat, pushing his head through the thorn tunnel ahead of the patrol. Berrypelt felt his fur bristle but he willed it to lay flat and kept his muzzle shut.

"Well hurry up before I sink in all this mud!" Thornpaw grumbled as she followed the cinder-colored tom with the twisted jaw through the thorn tunnel.

"You'll have to overlook him," meowed the black she-cat with silver eyes behind him. "I'm Mooneye by the way," she added before ushering him through the tunnel entrance. He flicked an ear and pushed his head through the passageway of thorns. Through the entrance, Berrypelt caught his first glimpse of the ShadowClan camp. It was something of a clearing, with the same sickly trees around it. The ground had been flattened with pawsteps and made easier to walk on by tons of pine needles. It was encircled by bramble bushes that surely made up all the dens.

Berrypelt watched as ShadowClan cats poked their heads out of dens and rose up from where they rested around camp as he and Thornpaw entered the center of camp. Ashstripe sent Brokennose to fetch their leader, sending the cinder-colored tom bounding towards a bramble bush beneath a low-hanging tree branch. Mooneye was now making her way towards another bramble bush den, probably the medicine den. It wasn't long before a regal-looking light ginger-furred she-cat squeezed her way out of the bramble den beneath the hanging limb.

"That's Emberstar," Thornpaw whispered to Berrypelt under her breath as the ShadowClan leader padded towards them. Her fur was a very light with age, but Berrypelt could tell that it had once been brighter ginger. It was slightly scruffy, but one could tell effort had been put in to try and groom it. Her whiskers were wiry and her ears drooped tiredly, but her green eyes were lively and welcoming like starshine.

"Welcome to ShadowClan, ThunderClan cats," Emberstar meowed in a calm, slow, motherly tone and with a gentle nod of the head. Thornpaw nodded her head politely, as did Berrypelt, but the cream-colored tom swiveled his ears back. She thought he was ThunderClan. Did he carry the forest scent or something? He hadn't realized.

"Thank you, Emberstar," meowed the young medicine cat apprentice next to him. "We're here to get some lavender from Whispernose, if he can spare it," Thornpaw explained. The leader nodded her old head and glanced towards their medicine den as an old, (Berrypelt could tell by the way he moved) snowy-white tom slipped out of his bramble den with a small, skinny, brown she-cat bounding out behind him. "Whispernose," meowed the elder ShadowClan leader. "Fetch some lavender for these young cats will you?" He gave a brisk nod and whispered something to the apprentice next to him.

_"That must be Slenderpaw," _ Berrypelt thought. The young, brown she-cat bounded off towards the den again. _"Wow,"_ he said to himself. _"These ShadowClan cats are more than welcoming. I don't know why ThunderClan seems to dislike them."_ It was just then that he noticed the sharp looks he was receiving from younger ShadowClan cats. Maybe it was just the older cats who welcomed them as friends? But why were all the warriors so eager to run into battle?

It wasn't long before Slenderpaw returned with her jaws full to the brim of soft purple flower petals, far more than she should've been able to carry.

"Send Patterenedflower my best wishes. I hope all your patients recover," meowed the old, snow-colored medicine cat in his raspy voice.

"We will," Thornpaw beamed. "Thanks so much."

"And tell Hollowstar that we'll be looking forward to seeing her and ThunderClan at the Gathering," Emberstar added in with a good-natured mew. Gathering? He'd be sure to ask about that later when he had the chance.

"We will," the young medicine cat repeated.

"Would you like to rest before you go?" Emberstar offered sweetly, wrapping her tail around her paws. Berrypelt politely kept his muzzle shut. He couldn't stand to have his paws in this muddy ground any longer.

"No thanks," Thornpaw meowed. "We need to get back to camp."

"Very well," she nodded. "I'm sure you can find your way back." A few shocked murmurs spread throughout the ShadowClan camp.

"You're going to send them back without an escort?" an older black-and-white she-cat hissed from somewhere among the crowd.

"Of course, Whithertail," Emberstar grinned. "Besides, what harm can a medicine cat apprentice and one young warrior do?" With that she turned tail and retreated to her den.

Berrypelt gave Thornpaw enough time to exchange quick goodbyes with her fellow medicine cats before scooping the lavender up in his muzzle. The soothingly sweet smell made him dizzy for a moment and he shook his head softly, blinking rapidly, to push it away.

He eagerly bounded out of the ShadowClan camp with the lavender in his jaws. Now since their mouths were filled, it kept the trip silent. Berrypelt didn't mind. It allowed him to think to himself on the way back to ThunderClan. By the time they had reached ThunderClan territory and were well deep into it, past the small open clearing between ShadowClan and ThunderClan, streaks of gold were just barely visible in the sky. They had almost reached camp again when a sudden rustle of bushes just out of sight made Berrypelt's ears perk up and his paws stop in their tracks. His ears swiveled towards the noise and his deep blue eyes starred off in the distance, scanning for the source of the sound. Ahead of him, Thornpaw stopped and glanced at him over her shoulder to give him an inquisitive stare. He blinked and shrugged, pushing the thought to the back of his mind, and trekked on back towards camp.

Lilyshadow shouldered her way into the clearing after Icestripe and Stripedshadow, her muscles sore and aching from battle practice. After today she had learned two things. 1- Icestripe's a pansy and 2- Never mess with Stripedshadow. You will lose.

"You all did really well today," meowed Dawnstorm as she padded in after them.

"Yeah. You'll be fully fledged warriors in no time!" Foxface added with an amused purr as Icestripe dropped to the ground in an exhausted manner.

"Oh, get up mouse-brain!" Lilyshadow teased, nudging the gray-and-white tom with a silver front paw. "You'll live!" That's when Stripedshadow flanked her out of no where, like the shadow that he was. Her ears flattened and she sent him a false glare. "You could've gone easy on us, you know!"

"Since when do I go easy on anyone?" he purred, his whiskers twitching. She scuffed him playfully over the ear before making her way to the fresh-kill pile. Just before she was about to select a sparrow, Moontalon and Lionfang came padding up to her.

"Guess what Lionfang did today?" the silvery-gray she-cat exclaimed, her tone flooded with pride. Before Lilyshadow could even open her mouth she was answered. "He fought and chased off a rogue cat today!" The black she-cat's blue eyes widened slightly and she flicked her ears, impressed.

"Wow.." she said under her breath. Nearby, Mouseear and Ghosttail had overheard and were working their way over to congratulate the ginger tom, who flattened his ears cheekily despite the fact that his chest fur was fluffed up proudly. Wow... Her cats really were fitting in and becoming warriors. Her blue gaze scanned the large, orange tomcat. His muscles had grown since they had been there, like all the others, and his frame was strong and formidable; he looked like a warrior any Clan would be proud to call its own. Just then, the sound of the bramble tunnel rustling shifted Lilyshadow out of her thoughts. She turned to see Thornpaw and then Berrypelt pushing their way inside the camp. Her blue eyes lit up and she bounded over to meet them immediately.

"Hey!" she meowed, not giving the cream-colored time to respond before giving him a half-second nuzzle over his ears. "How was ShadowClan?" He at once dropped the lavender, sputtering purple petals from his mouth. She giggled because he smelt sweet, like the herb he was carrying.

"Muddy," he replied blankly before chuckling at his friend. "How's camp been?"

"Fine," she shrugged. "Lionfang chased off a rogue today." Berrypelt blinked, surprised but somewhere beneath his gaze it looked to Lilyshadow as if he had been thinking. Shrugging the thought away, she looked to the medicine cat apprentice. Next to them, Thornpaw dropped her lavender as well.

"I'll take this to Patterenedflower," she mewed, raking it into a pile with a white paw. "Berrypelt shouldn't be in the medicine den. He might get sick." With that she took all of the flower petals into her jaws and leapt away towards Patterenedflower's den. The small tom's sapphire eyes cast her a frustrated glance as she ran away, but it was quickly replaced with a sigh.

"What'd you do today?" he asked.

"Got my tail beat by Stripedshadow during battle practice," she chuckled as she guided him towards the fresh-kill pile. The two friends quickly picked a couple mice from the fresh-kill pile and laid down to eat, both apparently exhausted after the day. It wasn't long before Stripedshadow had joined them either. Lilyshadow destroyed her meal in a few hungry bites and before she realized it, she had nestled her arrow-like head between her two friends and let her eyes drift close. She could just barely hear the deep chuckle of Stripedshadow next to her, and she couldn't help but to thwack him upside the head with her tail. Suddenly, a caterwaul sounded from the front of camp and Lilyshadow's gaze shot up to look as a frightened Ashpaw threw herself into the camp clearing, her fur on end.

"There's been a skirmish!" she shouted. Lilyshadow, Berrypelt and Stripedshadow jumped to their paws, as did the cats around them. Slowly pushing their way into camp was a distraught Flamefoot as well as Silverpaw and Foxface who were supporting an almost limp Stoneflight between them. The black she-cat's icy gaze widened with fear as she took one glimpse at his speckled, silver fur which had been tarnished with the color of running blood, turning patches of his pelt a disgusting scarlet.


	7. Chapter 6

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 6

Blazetail and Cloverfur flung themselves through the bramble tunnel into camp just as Lilyshadow and the two toms behind her reached the arriving patrol. Their pelts looked stringy and stirred from a tussle and the ever-so-slight hint of red clung to their light-colored fur in places, along with the unmistakable tang of blood. Out of the corner of her eyes Lilyshadow noticed a frantic Ashpaw and Dirtface bounding over to meet the newcomers, respectively despite the fact that there was a spotted tom cat right in from of them barely standing.

"What happened?" Lilyshadow meowed, her eyes wide as she looked down at Stoneflight. He rasped something out of his throat but it was unclear and a lean-post Foxface had to answer for him.

"A group of rogue cats was on the WindClan side of our territory," he explained. "They didn't prove easy to chase off. It ended in quite a scuffle before they ran away." By now, all the cats in camp were gathering around the entrance to see the ruckus.

"Rogue cats?" came the strong meow of Lionfang as he shouldered his way up to the front of the crowd next to Berrypelt. "Was one of them a gray and tan tom with lots of scars?" The patrol cats blinked at him in disbelief, adding to the bristling along their spines.

"Yeah," replied Silverpaw. Even the handsome apprentice's fur was a ruffled mess, but he looked at least somewhat collected. "Why?"

"That was the rogue I chased out today!" Lionfang exclaimed, his whiskers twitching angrily.

"Well apparently you didn't chase him out well enough!" spat a defensive Dirtface, his shoulder against a shaky Cloverfur. Lilyshadow shot him an angry glare and opened her muzzle to shout at him but was cut off by a yowl from behind her.

"Enough!" The group of cats turned to see Hollowstar trotting towards them, urgent but regal all the same. She beckoned for Patterenedflower who seemed to magically appear out of no where and flew to Stoneflight's side.

"He should be fine. Battle wounds are simple to treat, no matter how bad," she meowed. Lilyshadow noticed as the ThunderClan leader's fur softened with relief. "I'll bring some herbs out here at once to help treat him." She glanced up at Cloverfur, Blazetail, and then of course the other warriors too. "You all should get checked as well," she added.

"You better," Lilyshadow heard Dirtface utter to Cloverfur, nudging her ear fondly with his little, black nose. She blinked, caught off guard. That wasn't like Dirtface at all.

Against their will, the cats disbanded to give the medicine cat (and her helpers who had come to join her) room to work. For some reason Lilyshadow had felt some duty to stay back and try and help Stoneflight in anyway she could, but Patterenedflower, Thornpaw and even Spiritpetal assured her they had everything under control.

"He'll be fine," Berrypelt meowed as he forced her away from the scene. It wasn't moments later that a ceremonial cry rang out over the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" announced Hollowstar as she bounded atop Highledge with a rushed poise. She hardly had to wait because most cats were already gathered out in the middle of camp already.

"I know the battle with the rogues is frightening news, but I must remind you all that this is nothing that we haven't faced before," she began. "Twistedtail will make sure patrols are active in keeping a look out for them from now on," she added, flicking her tail to her deputy who sat at the base of the Highledge. "However, this battle brings us good news as well." Murmurs of confusion bustled through the cats looking up at her and even Lilyshadow flicked an ear in interest. "In this battle, Foxface tells me that a very brave apprentice fought with all the strength of a warrior. And this apprentice I hold very dear to my heart. I believe it is high time that my apprentice, Silverpaw was made a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Lilyshadow's ears, along with those of a lot of other cats, perked up and they all turned to face the young silver-white tom cat at the back of camp. His ears swiveled modestly and for a moment he seemed to shrink. A new warrior! How exciting!

"Silverpaw, come forward," his leader and mentor meowed proudly, beckoning him forward with the ushering of her tail. His fur rapidly licked flat as possible and his chest puffed out, the handsome tom padded forward and stood before his leader below Highledge. "Silverpaw, I as your mentor am satisfied that you are ready to become a warrior." Lilyshadow could practically see the excitement brimming from the young tom's pelt. "I, Hollowstar, leader of ThunderClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Silverpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Lilyshadow's ears listened longingly at the ancient, ritual words. To her, having heard the stories of the Clans for as long as she could remember, found (for some reason) some unexplainable magic and welcoming in those words. Some tiny ember of jealousy flared up inside when she realized what Silverpaw was experiencing right now, she would never be able to receive.

"I do," Silverpaw meowed confidently with a noble nod.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give your warrior name," Hollowstar went on, pride shining in her amber eyes at her apprentice. "Silverpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Silverstorm. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Silverstorm! Silverstorm!" chanted all the ThunderClan cats to welcome the new warrior. Lilyshadow raised her voice to join in too, only to receive a couple odd looks from her friends.

"It's how they welcome a new warrior," she explained under her breath before joining in with the caterwaul. Despite this, she only noticed a couple of her cats partaking in the tradition. When the yowls had died down, Hollowstar spoke again.

"Silverstorm will sit in silent vigil and watch over the camp as tradition states. However," she meowed. At the added statement, cats beneath her blinked in surprise. "There is still one bit of business to attend too. In all the excitement of late we seem to have forgotten that the Gathering is tomorrow night." Murmurs rang out through the ThunderClan cats again and once more, Lilyshadow's friends looked at her in confusion. They still didn't know what a Gathering was. She flattened her ears and looked up at Hollowstar, hoping the ThunderClan leader would help. Her bright amber eyes shown with amusement.

"For our new friends," she went on. "A Gathering is a meeting between all the Clans held during every full moon to catch up on one another's events and to make sure all his at least some-what well."

"If your lives are so interconnected, why are you all enemies?" Lilyshadow heard the grumble just off behind her but was glad it was so low that Hollowstar hadn't heard. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she knew it was Dirtface and she suppressed a growl, holding it back in her throat.

"I must decide which cats will go." She was silent for a moment as her gaze scanned the throng of cats. "Flamefoot, Mouseear, Dawnstorm, Foxface, Silverstorm, Rippedpaw, and Ashpaw will be going to the gathering," she announced. Suddenly, a surprising call came from a cat in the crowd.

"Are any of the non-Clan cats going?" she yowled. It was Ghosttail.

"They better not be!" Lilyshadow rolled her eyes as she heard the cry. It was Jaggedtooth. "They're not warriors of ThunderClan! They can't represent us!"

"Every other cat in all the Clans think that we ARE ThunderClan!" shot back Adderstorm from somewhere in the crowd. "We even smell like it! Why can't we go?" Lilyshadow knew Jaggedtooth was going to open his ugly maw to say something else but luckily Hollowstar cut him off.

"Silence," she meowed curtly. At once Lilyshadow also shot her icy gaze across the clearing at Adderstorm and glared, willing him to keep his muzzle shut. "I agree that these cats are not ThunderClan, but as far as the other Clans know they are... And we should keep them thinking that way for now." Lilyshadow's eyes shot wide with surprise. It was just as Patterenedflower had said. All these numbers made ThunderClan look stronger, and Hollowstar wanted to keep it that way. "I am going to allow two of the non-Clan cats to accompany me to the Gathering." Without another word, she leapt down from Highledge and the mass of cats beneath it disbanded around camp.

"I wonder who she'll choose," muttered Berrypelt, wrapping his tail around his paws and letting out a yawn. They were all tired, and with the sun almost done setting it would be time for sleep soon...hopefully. Lilyshadow was about to open her jaws to answer but Stripedshadow beat her too it.

"Whichever one of us makes her Clan seem the happiest probably." The other two cats shot him confused looks. "She wants to keep the morale of her Clan high, or at least looking high," he explained. "I'm also sure that's why she suddenly held Silverstorm's warrior ceremony. It was a positive distraction from the negative." The striped, shadowy tom flicked a feathered ear and whisked his tail back and forth as he spoke.

"That makes sense..." the cream-colored tom meowed, tilting his head slightly at the thought. Lilyshadow's blue eyes gleamed at the interesting leadership strategy. It was a good one...but didn't it count as trickery? She cast a side ways glance at the other black cat next to her, but then yawned. He sort of had a leader aura to him, and he was definitely smart enough. Would Hollowstar choose him? A sudden flame lit inside her chest. Hadn't Hollowstar told her she was a good leader, though? She let the emotion flare within her for a moment before she shook her head as if to push it away.

"We'll just have to wait and see who she picks," Lilyshadow meowed at last. Berrypelt gave a shrug and nestled down into the ground where he stood and wrapped his tail around himself and almost over his nose. The black she-cat blinked before flicking an ear, remembering that he had just trekked from ShadowClan and back so he must be tired. Laying down next to him, she folded her front silver paws and let out a massive yawn before dropping her chin down onto them.

"You going to sleep like everything else in the forest?" she meowed with amusement, casting a glance up at Stripedshadow that still sat as if he wasn't ready for sleep yet. His green eyes narrowed playfully in the twilight darkness before he dropped down next to her, folding his paws gracefully under him. She chuckled and hid her nose in Berrypelt's shoulder, feeling Stripedshadow's fluffy tail along her back. The warmth between her two friends lulled her eyes to sleep and she gave a final yawn before drifting into dreamland.

The absence of warmth next to her was what woke Lilyshadow up. Blinking her blue eyes open groggily, she noticed that Stripedshadow was gone. As usual, if you blinked you'd miss that cat. But Berrypelt was still there so she yawned and buried nose into the warm scruff of his neck and attempted to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, the gentle flick of his ear tickled her cheek and jousted her awake again. The cream-colored tom elicited an amused chuckle and craned his neck to look at her.

"As tired as you are, you'd think you were the one who walked to ShadowClan territory and back yesterday!" he teased. Lilyshadow groaned something in response and flicked her silver-tipped ear, refusing to open her eyes. With another laugh, Berrypelt nudged her off him as he got to his paws. "C'mon!" he mewed. "You can't be that tired!" The black she-cat let out a growl from deep in her throat and forced herself to sit up, letting out a massive yawn that revealed her little, pink, curled tongue and pointed teeth.

"You guys!" came the loud meow. The two cats turned their heads to see Moontalon leaping towards them. Her long, dark-silver fur shimmied on her as she rushed towards them, her black-tipped, feathered ears pert. "Redmarigold's letting others in to see the kits now!" she beamed. "Want to come see them?" Berrypelt and Lilyshadow exchanged a jovial glance and bounded after Moontalon towards the nursery. They arrived at the front of the bramble thicket that hung over from the roots of a tree that lay limp over the side of the gorge that made the ThunderClan camp. The black she-cat noticed the patching in the back of the bush, reinforced with honeysuckle, after the snake had snuck into camp. Lilyshadow nosed her way in as Moontalon showed her the entrance. At once the warmth of the nursery enveloped her and the scent of milk wafted up her nostrils. To her left was Pearlnose with Hollykit snuggled close to her mother, large and not quite as soft as a kit would normally be. She'd be apprenticed soon.

In the far back of the den was Redmarigold, her long, elegant orange-red fur a surprising blaze in the darkness and her splashes of black tabby stripes making her look like a warrior of TigerClan. Snuggled up against her still slightly plump belly were two tiny, round balls of fur - which now held their natural kitten fluff. One had bright ginger fur, much like its mother's - although he lacked her dark stripes, and the other was a strong-colored brown tabby.

"They're beautiful, Redmarigold!" Lilyshadow cooed as she felt Berrypelt squeeze up next to her in the den. The cream-colored tom flicked an ear and tilted his head, beaming at the two small bundles.

"They're really cute," he added with a less enthusiasm but he was sincere-sounding nonetheless. The red queen's sapphire eyes gleamed in the dark of the nursery as she blinked and nodded gratefully, murmuring a 'thank you' as she leaned her head down to nuzzle the kits and rasp her tongue over their heads.

"This is Redkit," she meowed, ushering to the ginger kit, a tom. "And this is Owlkit," Redmarigold added as she nudged the other kit at her belly, a she-cat.

"Jaggedtooth must be proud," the black she-cat said almost apathetically, still having a disfavoring taste in her mouth for the broken-toothed-tabby warrior. The red queen nodded her head absentmindedly as she licked her children. Lilyshadow gazed on with a tilted head, her eyes reflecting particles in the air in the dark nursery. Would she ever have kits like that? Her ears swiveled back and she shook her arrow-shaped head. Never! Neglecting to say a proper goodbye, she turned-tail and pushed her way out of the bramble-bush nursery, flicking her ears to rid them of any fallen, leafy debris as she did.

"What was that all about?" Berrypelt mewed as he followed her out.

"Nothing," she murmured under her breath, averting her gaze and pretending her silver front paws were interesting.

"Lilyshadow," came the regal meow from across the clearing. The two glanced up to see Hollowstar padding towards them, and both cats lowered their heads slightly as the ThunderClan leader approached.

"Yes, Hollowstar?" the black she-cat asked, looking up and flicking a silver-tipped ear.

"Would you mind accompanying me on a hunting patrol?" the white-and-bark-colored she-cat requested, her ears upright and amber eyes bright. Berrypelt and Lilyshadow blinked in surprised and the suddenness made Lilyshadow stutter a little.

"O-of course!" she meowed, raising a front paw eagerly. Hollowstar nodded good-naturedly and flicked her tail at the cream-colored tom.  
>"Berrypelt, if you're feeling well-rested from your trip to ShadowClan, I'm sure the battle practice party would enjoy your company," she suggested in such an eloquent tone that you hardly realized she was giving a command. Rather, it sounded much more like a friendly comment. The cream-colored tom blinked his dark sapphire eyes a couple times before nodding his head politely and padding past the two she-cats, touching Lilyshadow's flank with his tail for a millisecond before disappearing across the clearing. She blinked her icy pupils as he left and turned back to the ThunderClan leader.<p>

"Will it be just us?" she asked with a soft mew in the presence of the regal feline next to her.

"Yes, only us," Hollowstar replied. "Will that be fine?"

"Oh, y-yes," Lilyshadow stammered, dropping her head and flattening her ears as blood rushed up into them.

"_Way to go,"_ she scolded herself.

The white-and-bark-colored leader led Lilyshadow to the bramble tunnel entrance of camp where a grouchy (as usual) Twistedtail sat, perched in a stern, upright position as he foresaw the leaving patrols for the day.

"Lilyshadow and I will be going hunting, Twistedtail," Hollowstar mewed good-naturedly in such an air-light tone it was almost cute. The rusty old tabby did a double take, blinking a few times as well as letting his jaw hang open for a moment.

"Are you sure, Hollowstar?" he grumbled, lashing his crooked, striped tail forward. Lilyshadow didn't have to see her face to tell that all at once Hollowstar's disposition changed so her eyes narrowed into a piercing gaze and her ears lurched forward, poised as if they were as much a weapon as her claws.

"It saddens me that the prejudice against Lilyshadow and the other cats hasn't evaporated yet," she growled and pushed her way through the bramble tunnel without another word. The black she-cat behind her batted her eyes in shock before lowering her head again, nodding to Twistedtail politely as she followed the ThunderClan leader out into their territory and leaving the deputy confused at Hollowstar's ferocity.

"I apologize for Twistedtail's rudeness," Hollowstar said softly as the two she-cats made their way away from camp.

"It's fine," Lilyshadow said under her breath, swiveling her ears back. "I don't really expect many of your cats to trust all of us." Her words made her own paws stop and she blinked up, having realized what she said. "No offense," her silver muzzle quickly spattered out. Hollowstar let out a bemused chuckle.

"None taken."

Lilyshadow was surprised when the leader folded her paws beneath her and sat down on her fluffy white haunches, showing off her smudged, brownie back. Out of nervousness and politeness, the black she-cat did the same.

"I hope you realize, Lilyshadow that I didn't steal you away from camp just for hunting," she said curtly.

"_Apparently,"_ the ebony cat told herself. "I had guessed," she said outloud.

"Then I will get right to the point," Hollowstar mewed with a purr. Her whiskers twitched so that it appeared almost as if she were smiling. "I would like to ask you to accompany me and the other ThunderClan cats to the Gathering." Lilyshadow's eyes flew wide with surprise.

"Me?" she gasped out before she had thought about it. Some sort of excitement rippled through her but with a loud exhale it somehow morphed into disbelief, and then nervousness all over again. Hollowstar merely nodded.

"I think you'll be a wonderful representation of ThunderClan." Lilyshadow wasn't sure what made her think so bitterly: "_Yet, I am not ThunderClan?" _She swept the sour thought away and nodded (which put her nose to the dirt) gratefully.

"Thank you Hollowstar!" she exclaimed. At once, the white-and-bark-colored she-cat held up her tail.

"That is not all," she added, making Lilyshadow's jaw instantly stop moving which resulted in her holding an awkward, open-mawed expression towards the ThunderClan leader. "I would like you to choose one more cat from your group to come with us as well." Once again, the black she-cat blinked in response and her silver-tipped ears swiveled with surprise.

"You're letting me choose?" she meowed sharply before quickly adding a, "Thank you, but why?" Once again, Hollowstar let her amber gaze fall on the younger she-cat with amusement glimmering in her eyes.

"Consider it a test," she replied, folding her front paws. Lilyshadow perked a single silver ear in confusion. Why did the ThunderClan leader favor her so? Why did she trust her?

"What makes me so different, Hollowstar?" she asked before she realized what had left her muzzle. She almost wished she could wrap her paws around the words that had just flown out of her mouth and pull them back between her jaws before crushing them up in her teeth.

Hollowstar narrowed her line of sight before looking this way and that and crouching low so her long, angled, powerful shoulders jutted out on her back and her head was pressed against her snowy white paws.

"You're special, Lilyshadow," she whispered.

"What?" the black she-cat shrieked almost immediately, pulling back from the ThunderClan leader. She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "How so?"

"StarClan shares dreams with you, do they not?" Hollowstar shot back at once. Lilyshadow looked taken aback and looked this way and that inside her head for words that refused to jump into her mouth. "You know about the prophecy," the leader went on. "That automatically makes you important." Once again, Lilyshadow spoke without thinking.

"Do you think I'm the cat in the prophecy?" Her ears folded back, flat against her skull. If she were important, why did she feel so weak and insecure? For once, Hollowstar didn't answer immediately. Instead, she let her eyes bounce back and forth between her two paws as if she were in deep thought, looking for the words to say.

"I'm not sure, Lilyshadow," she finally meowed in an honest tone. "But I do know this. You must be a part of it. Otherwise, StarClan wouldn't have shared it with you. And that makes you special." The ThunderClan leader got to her paws and starred down at Lilyshadow. "Not only that, but I see immense potential in you." At this, both of Lilyshadow's ears perked up and she jumped to her feet.

"What? Why?" The black she-cat still did not know what possessed her to sound so clueless, shocked, and ungrateful. The white-and-bark-colored she-cat chuckled.

"You remind me of someone I used to know," she replied with a good-natured whisker twitch. She glanced up at the sky, or maybe it was the rustling in the treetops, or maybe something else - Lilyshadow was too preoccupied with her thoughts to be sure or to care. "I'll need your answer by sundown when we leave for the Gathering," she added quickly, changing the subject. The black she-cat blinked her icy eyes once and nodded, flexing her claws as she stretched herself and looked around. As if reading her thoughts, Hollowstar spoke again. "Well, we'll need to bring something back for the Clan."

It was well past sun-high when Lilyshadow shouldered her way into camp behind Hollowstar, carrying two mice and a vole in her jaws by their tails after their "hunting patrol". Hollowstar carried only a sparrow and a lark despite the fact that she must've made at least two more kills than the black she-cat had. (The rest were left in their buried positions back in the forest.) This reminded Lilyshadow of that pesky finch she had missed earlier, having let it slip through her claws by just a few mouse-lengths. It was surprising that that was her only mess-up today though, considering that her mind had been on the Gathering since Hollowstar told her to choose another cat to accompany them, which led to her surprise at how well her body was naturally built for hunting. (But then again, weren't all cats?)

Hollowstar sent Silverstorm and Rippedpaw after the rest of their fresh-kill as the two she-cats dropped their prey onto the fresh-kill pile today.

"Well done today, Lilyshadow," the leader purred. "And don't let that finch worry you," she added with an amused, knowing smirk before bounding away towards her den. Lilyshadow almost let a smirk cross her own muzzle.

"_She's definitely not talking about that finch," _she told herself. That was when she noticed a distinctive creamy pelt across the clearing. Oh right! She had to tell Berrypelt about the Gathering! She dashed forward, leaping across the clearing easily (her muscles must've still been in "hunting mode").

"Hello," she meowed. "How's your day going?"

"Horrible," he grumbled, plopping down on his hindquarters with his head held low so his shoulders jutted out like a stiff, old elder's. The black she-cat rose a paw and stepped back at his harshness, but contributed it to "he didn't mean it" and stepped closer to him.

"Why? What happened?" she urged. It took the small tom a few moments to reply and even as he spoke he kept his head low.

"Lizardclaw's getting worse," he muttered. Lilyshadow's ears flattened against her head and her whiskers furrowed into a frown.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, at first not knowing what to say. "Even with the herbs you got for him?" Berrypelt nodded in an absentminded fashion as if his entire being was in an exhausted haze.

"Does Patternedflower know wha-"

"No," he cut her off, shimmying away from her and dropped onto his belly where he angled his head in the other direction. She sat there and starred sadly at the back of his soft head before laying down next to him and nosing his ear.

"Can I help?" It took a few moments for the tom to roll over and repeat his lazy answer.

"No... and I'm sore from battle practice too," he added. Lilyshadow forced herself to let out an amused giggle in hopes of lifting his spirits. He tried to twitch his whiskers happily, but the fluttered and dropped back as if weighed down with depression so he just flicked an ear instead.

"Well, I have good news," she meowed in a slightly more excited tone. Berrypelt blinked in a silent usher for her to share. Lowering her voice even more she whispered, "Hollowstar chose me to go to the Gathering AND she said I can pick the other cat to come with us!" The cream-colored tom's blue eyes flew wide in shock and he rolled himself up to a sitting position to which Lilyshadow mirrored.

"Wow! Really?" he meowed. The black she-cat nodded rapidly to show her excitement.

"Do you want to come?" she asked almost immediately (again, probably without thinking). At first the small tom's eyes lit up, only to have them fade back to their previous sad, dull color.

"I wish I could," he began as he flattened his ears. "I should probably stay in camp with Dad." Lilyshadow tilted her ears to mirror his.

"Oh yeah..." she muttered under her breath. "You probably should."

"I hope you have fun though!" Berrypelt chirped suddenly, raising his tail as if the movement would also lift his friend's hopes. At first Lilyshadow didn't let his words affect her but then twitched her whiskers in a soft attempt at happiness.

"Thank you," she purred as she sat down next to the cream-colored tom and wrapped her silver-tipped tail around her front paws.

"I'll get us something to eat," he meowed, hopping to his paws and making his way to the fresh-kill pile. Lilyshadow stayed put as she waited for her friend, glancing up at the steadily darkening sky and the throng of cats around her. The sun would be setting soon, and she would have to give Hollowstar her answer. Who could she take? Her eyes scanned the clearing and fell on Lionfang and Moontalon. They're way to wrapped up in each other to leave the other long enough for a Gathering.

She looked on at Adderstorm and Icestripe huddled in a group as they lazily nibbled on their fresh-kill and rolled onto their backs goofily. Icestripe was nice but perhaps _too_ nice - he could give ThunderClan information away to the other Clans. Adderstorm? He was a great warrior but...sometimes he just appeared rude. Lilyshadow shook her head and kept looking. Next her eyes met Cloverfur and Dirtface as they sat next to each other enjoying their evening meal of a squirrel and crow, respectively. Cloverfur - again, a nice cat but perhaps she'd appear a bit too clumsy to the other warriors. Dirtface? The black she-cat felt a bristle run along her spine, causing her fur to stand on end. Never.

Her mind started to reel through the other cats - those that she wasn't bothering to look for. Spiritpetal? She'd be a great choice but she'd probably be too busy with Lizardclaw since Patterenedflower (and maybe even Thornpaw) would be going to the Gathering.

Stoneflight? Too hurt still.

Bearclaw? Another shudder ran through her. He'd be trying to woo her all night. So, that only left...

"What are you starring at?" Lilyshadow's fur prickled at the voice and she whipped around to come nose-to-nose with the shadowy figure of Stripedshadow. She let out a low growl and took a deep breath, shaking her fur free of ruffles as she realized she must've been starring off into the distance while caught up in her train of thought.

"Don't scare me like that!" she hissed, furrowing the fur above her eyes and twirling her ears towards him fiercely, although it was easy to recognize the false anger in her gaze.

"Don't make it so easy," the black tabby smirked back with a chuckle beneath his breath. "What were you thinking about?" Lilyshadow cursed his knowing she had been thinking; although, he must've been obvious.

"The Gathering," she replied quickly and then followed up with: "Want to go?" His emerald eyes blinked once and his ears stood up, but other than that one would never guessed he was even the littlest bit surprised.

"Did Hollowstar ask you to go?" he questioned back with a flick of one of his black, feather-tipped ears. Lilyshadow nodded.

"And she asked me to pick another cat to come with us," she explained.

"I figured that," Stripedshadow said in a rather apathetic voice. For half a moment he was quiet and Lilyshadow noticed his green eyes flickering (perhaps over her shoulder to see a cream-colored cat she knew was at the fresh-kill pile in the center of camp). "Why not Berrypelt?" he asked.

"I already asked him," she replied. "He needs to stay in camp with his father." Stripedshadow looked back and forth between her and Berrypelt before swishing his tail.

"So...I'm your back-up?"

"Don't be like that!" the black she-cat scoffed. She wasn't too surprised when he let out a low, humming chuckle. Glimmers flashed in his narrow eyes and she knew he had been teasing.

"Sure. I'll go," he meowed. "It'll be good to get an ear in on the other Clans." Lilyshadow's whiskers twitched happily - mostly because she'd have a real friend at the Gathering with her.

"Thanks," she beamed, crossing her two front silver paws as he sat down next to her. That was when Berrypelt returned, padding up to them with two mice in his jaws (one of which he dropped down in front of Lilyshadow).

"Hey," he said in a half-cheery tone as he dropped down next to her in front of his own dinner.

"Stripedshadow's going to the Gathering with me," Lilyshadow meowed before tearing into her fresh-kill, recognizing it as one of the mice Hollowstar caught earlier.

"Great," Berrypelt mewed, holding his own mouse between his paws as if at any moment someone would rush by and sweep it away from him. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked, looking at the other tom.

"Yeah," the she-cat agreed between packed jaws. Swallowing, she went on: "We won't get back from the Gathering 'til late and then all the fresh-kill will be gone." Stripedshadow ignored the remark and swiveled his ears lazily to the sides.

"Speaking of Gathering..." he murmured. "Look." Lilyshadow angled her head over her should to follow Stripedshadow's line of sight and noticed Hollowstar peeking out of her den. The leader held the unmistakable gaze of searching as she scanned the clearing. Knowingly, Lilyshadow lifted her tail and signaled to the leader with a friendly flick of the tip.

"You're under good terms," Berrypelt smirked good-naturedly under his breath just as the leader approached. The black she-cat held back a chuckle.

"Well, Lilyshadow," Hollowstar meowed as she padded up to her. "Have you made your decision?" Lilyshadow nodded her head politely and flicked her tail towards her shadow-cast friend.

"Stripedshadow's going to come with us," she replied. Hollowstar's whiskers twitched and she nodded her head in an approving manner.

"Very well," she meowed. "Hurry and finish your meal. We'll be leaving shortly." With that, she bounded towards the bramble tunnel. Lilyshadow didn't waste any time gobbling up the rest of her mouse and quickly cleaning her face. By the time she had finished and had said goodbye to Berrypelt, the Gathering party was gathered at the camp entrance.

"Lilyshadow," came the gruff meow as the black she-cat turned her head to see an approaching Twistedtail. "I'd like you and Stripedshadow to stay with Flamefoot this evening," he meowed and flicked his tail towards the flame-pelted cat who had padded up next to him. Flamefoot gave an amused, cheeky grin and swiveled his black-tipped ears towards Lilyshadow. The black she-cat's silver-topped ears flatted backwards against her skull and she held back a growl. "He'll keep you informed on how the Gathering works." With that the dark russet tabby worked his way to the front of the group where Lilyshadow also noticed Hollowstar and Patterenedflower.

"He's just assigning us a kit sitter," she hissed under her breath. Stripedshadow swished his feathered tail against her flank in a silencing motion and nodded "politely" to Flamefoot as he fell into step behind the other cats who had begun to make their way out of clearing.

Lilyshadow stepped into the forest, listening to the _'crunch crunch'_ sound of leaves beneath her paws as she walked, and took her place beside a rather swift-moving Stripedshadow. Much to her dismay however, Flamefoot pulled up to her other side.

"So are you two looking forward to your first Gathering?" he chuckled.

"Sure," the black she-cat murmured just to please the orange tom. Stripedshadow responded with a lazy grunt and flicked an ear towards the ThunderClan warrior.

Luckily enough, the group was able to pad in silence for a while. They all moved quickly, but not too fast, through the forest on agile paws. No longer did Lilyshadow or Stripedshadow (although it's debatable that he never did) have a problem keeping up with the Clan cats. As they neared the far side of ThunderClan territory, Lilyshadow noticed the amazing Ancient Oak jutting out of the earth and towering far above any of the other trees. She recognized it from one of her previous border patrols along the WindClan border. Wildpaw had tried to climb it but he didn't even manage to get to the first limb and instead plumped back down to the ground on his bottom. The image brought a chuckle to her silver muzzle and she let her whiskers twitch in amusement.

"We'll have to go through WindClan territory to get to the island," Flamefoot spoke up suddenly, jousting Lilyshadow out of her thoughts.

"What?" she stuttered, blinking and flicking her ears "awake".

"The island where we hold our Gatherings," he explained. "We have to go through WindClan territory to get to it."

"Aren't we supposed to not cross into other Clans' territories?" Stripedshadow said in a somewhat bemused, sarcastic tone.

"For special occasions, like Gatherings and going to the Moonpool," Flamefoot meowed. Lilyshadow's ears perked up at the word Moonpool as thoughts of her dreams flooded her memory again, but she shook her head in attempt to brush them away. Why get worked up over the word 'Moonpool'? The Clan cats talk about it all the time... "We're allowed to cross borders as long as we stay within two tail-lengths from the lake," he finished explaining. Stripedshadow nodded and kept padding forward. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the ThunderClan patrol reached the border next to WindClan and not a single cat hesitated before crossing the border into the territory. Lilyshadow's little pink nose immediately picked up the familiar musty, moldy smell that accompanied the moorlands of WindClan. A chilly gust swirled towards the cats and she snapped her eyes shut, shivering and doing a double leap forward to brush against Stripedshadow's longer, warmer fur. His green eyes blinked at her in the approaching darkness as the sunset faded.

"How do cats live in that wind?" she whispered under her breath, flattening her ears against the gusts.

"Guess that explains their fowl mood," he chuckled, his fur wisping around him elegantly as they continued to follow the other cats. To distract herself, Lilyshadow cast her gaze out at the lake next to them, imagining its inky surface reflecting silverpelt and a beautiful, silver moon overhead soon. Her eyes zeroed in on a small group of trees not far from where they were walking. Marshy weeds stood up around the whole area which jutted out into the lake.

"That's the island," Flamefoot meowed with a purr of pride. At least someone was excited. As the group neared the island, Lilyshadow's nose was blasted with a mingled smell of cats. WindClan's scent was unmistakable, along with another recognizable scent that was tart and tangy - ShadowClan. They must already be there.

Upon reaching the last bit of land before the island, Lilyshadow's eyes darted this way and that as she looked for a way onto the island. How were they supposed to get there? They didn't expect her to swim did they? Looking ahead she noticed the regal brown-and-white form of Hollowstar making its way across a thin log that had been dropped across the water between the island and the mainland they stood on. She let out a sigh of relief at the idea of no swimming. Cats had to cross one-by-one so the process was fairly slow. Luckily the Clan cats were experienced with crossing the log (with the exception of a couple of young apprentices).

"Be careful. It's slippery," Flamefoot warned when it was their turn. Her ears swiveled backwards and she cast a questioning glance at Stripedshadow. He blinked once before fearlessly stepping out onto the log and slinking across it with graceful ease. Jealousy flashed in Lilyshadow's icy eyes and she forcefully perched herself up on the near end of the log.

"Careful," Stripedshadow purred in a teasing tone from the other side. "It's slippery." Lilyshadow let a soft hiss slip out of her throat towards her friend as she took her first steps across the log. It was true; her soft, pink pads didn't like the wet, slippery bark of the log. Taking a slow pace, she never lost her footing once and skipped the last few steps by leaping from the log to the marshy ground beside Stripedshadow. Behind her, she watched as Flamefoot cleared the log quickly and easily. Rolling her eyes at the two toms, she followed the rest of the ThunderClan cats. They weaved their way through a thin layer of trees before stepping out into a large clearing with a single large tree in the middle. Surrounding the area was nothing but a throng of cats (and this alarmed Lilyshadow because scent told her that there were still more to come). Perched on a low branch of the center tree were an obviously aging, sand-colored tabby she-cat with blazing amber eyes and a short, scruffy ebony tom with golden eyes.

"That's Emberstar and Briarstar," Flamefoot informed her. "The leaders of ShadowClan and WindClan." She watched as the ThunderClan cats poured into the Gathering clearing and Hollowstar leapt up onto the branch with the other leaders. "The Gathering won't start until RiverClan gets here," the orange tom went on. "So mingle until then. Just be careful not to let any information slip."

"You're not going to watch us?" Lilyshadow asked, tilting her head in surprise.

"Hmph, no!" he exclaimed. "You're not kits." With that, he wove his way into the throng of cats and disappeared to meet with someone he knew. Lilyshadow glanced this way and that and then back to Stripedshadow.

"Should we look around?" she asked. The black tabby tom gave her a bored shrug and flashed his emerald eyes across the clearing as well.

"Hey!" came the sharp meow from across the throng of cats. Lilyshadow and Stripedshadow whipped their black heads around to see a familiar dirty, sandy-colored tom weaving their way towards them. "ThunderClan kitties!" Lilyshadow immediately recognized the tom as Desertwing, the WindClan cat she and Stripedshadow had met just at the border between the two Clan territories.

"Desertwing..." she said with almost a 'clicking' sound rolling from her tongue. She held her silver muzzle high and regally the way she imagined Hollowstar to and narrowed her eyes as she spoke to the WindClan warrior. Stripedshadow nodded as well, but he at least appeared to come across half-way polite.

"Didn't expect to see you two here," the WindClan cat snickered. "With having broke the rule of crossing into another Clan's territory and all."

"We didn't-" Lilyshadow started to hiss, her fur fluffing up and her tail lashing back and forth, only to be cut off as Stripedshadow's tail snapped forward in front of her muzzle over her lips. His gaze flashed her a 'let it go' look before turning back to Desertwing.

"We didn't really expect to see you here either," Stripedshadow purred back, his whiskers twitching with some amusement unknown to Lilyshadow. "With a build like that, I expected you to be back at camp in the nursery tending to the kits with the other queens." At once Lilyshadow let out a loud snort, whiskers tingling as she burst into a fit of giggles. Desertwing's face distorted into that of pure hatred and he pulled his lips back into a snarl as he raised his bristling hackles as if he was about to pounce on Stripedshadow.

"Why you flea-bitten, furba-"

"Enough!" came the curt meow as a black and white tom bounded his way over to them, throwing himself forcefully in front of Desertwing, blocking his access to the "ThunderClan" cats. At once Desertwing glanced up at the other tom. For a moment, Lilyshadow thought he held the unmistakable appearance of a pre-forming hiss but he apparently swallowed it and backed away. "You know fighting isn't allowed at Gatherings!" the other tom growled. His voice was cracked and rough, but stern as stone which made Lilyshadow take a second look at him - the fading color of his fur showed her his age. Desertwing, face still infused with anger, nodded and mumbled a, "sorry" before turning tail and disappearing into the massive throng of cats.

"Thank you," Lilyshadow meowed sincerely to the old tom.

"Think nothing of it," he chuckled. "Desertwing's always been a bit testy. I'm Coppereye by the way." Lilyshadow tilted her head, examining this way and that. Her icy gaze narrowed as she looked at his statue, tall and powerful despite his obvious age. This was a respected cat.

"Are you...?" she began. Coppereye let out a soft chuckle.

"WindClan's deputy," he replied. "And you must be some of ThunderClan's new recruits that I've heard so much about." Lilyshadow felt blood rush to her ears and she folded them back.

"Word travels fast among the Clans," Stripedshadow added with a smirk, wrapping his tail around his paws. The WindClan deputy laughed.

"Aye," he agreed. "It does." Just as the black and white tom closed his maw, the reeds surrounding the island rustled in a particular spot on the far left side of the clearing. Lilyshadow convinced her fur to lay flat as the rustling grew louder, only for a band of water-logged-looking cats to push their way into the Gathering clearing.

"That must be RiverClan," she thought outloud to which Stripedshadow merely shrugged. The new cats, even beneath the wetness that clung to their fur, carried the slimy scent of fish and a somewhat misty, salty smell about them. They had obviously swam to the island, given the reason for their soaked pelts. A few of them shook the water from themselves, but many let it cling there and drip. "They swim like otters!" Lilyshadow exclaimed, something between an impressed and disgusted expression wiping across her face. A gray tom was at the head of the group. Despite looking rather lean, he was tall and the wet fur clinging to his body revealed his muscular form. His gray fur shown silver in the moonlight that filtered down into the Gathering clearing and the water droplets on his pelt somehow splashed a luminescent green shine across his fur color.

"_The RiverClan leader?" _she thought, tilting her head. She guessed right because he bounded away from his band of cats and leapt up onto the tree bough with the other leaders. She noticed a black and white tom rush with muddy-looking paws hurrying after him and prop himself regally up at the base of the tree where she just realized that a white tom with gray stripes down his back stood beside Twistedtail. That must be where the deputies sat.

"I've got to go sit with the other deputies," Coppereye purred. "We'll be starting shortly." With that he rushed off towards the base of the great tree.

"Hey!" came a sweet meow just next to them. The two black cats turned to see the source of the meow, a silver she-cat with a snow-colored face. Her pelt was wet and she reeked of fish.

"Hello," Stripedshadow mewed, flicking his tail and then wrapping it around his paws again. Lilyshadow nodded politely and swiveled her ears towards the other she-cat.

"You must be some of the new ThunderClan cats!" she cooed. "I'm Frostface. Nice to meet you." Before either of them could reply to her, a ceremonial yowl rang out from the tree limb. They blinked upwards to that it had been the WindClan leader, Briarstar who had announced the beginning of the Gathering. Happy that it was finally starting and she wouldn't be forced to talk to anymore other cats, Lilyshadow curled up in a crouching-sitting position next to Stripedshadow and gazed up at the limb.

"RiverClan can report first," Briarstar announced with authority and backed away with politeness to let the salty, green-gray leader step forward. Lilyshadow tried to ignore the arrogance in his voice but found it difficult with the smug smirk on his muzzle. "All is well in RiverClan," began Breezestar (his name having been told to her by Frostface). We have a newly promoted warrior, Frostface." Next to her Lilyshadow noticed the RiverClan she-cat stand tall with pride. "And Runningpaw and Rollingpaw are our newest apprentices."

"_Standard Clan news..."_ the black she-cat thought boredly.

"Now," Breezestar went on. "Our medicine cat would like to say something. Roottail?" Lilyshadow blinked in surprise. Medicine cats normally don't speak to everyone at Gatherings. From the corner of the tree where the medicine cats sat stepped a young, lean Siamese cat with darkened, browning fur and eyes that flashed sapphire in the night. "StarClan has sent a message to me that I believe all the clans should hear," he began. Lilyshadow's ears perked up even more and she stood taller as curiosity prickled through her pelt. She noticed the other three medicine cats, Patterenedflower included, exchanged disbelieving glances and murmured under their breath as if Roottail had stolen words from them. "In my dream sent from StarClan, I was given this message... _When blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest."_


	8. Chapter 7

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 7

Lilyshadow's eyes flew wide with surprise and a chilling shiver ran down her spine, sending her black fur a flutter. The RiverClan medicine cat had received the same prophecy that she had? Murmurs erupted around them from the Clan cats.

"This is a prophecy obviously meant for all the Clans!" asserted Briarstar, the craggy WindClan leader. That was when Patterenedflower stepped forward from where she had been sitting suspiciously with the other medicine cats.  
>"The other medicine cats and I have received the same dream!" she announced.<p>

"No way..." Lilyshadow whispered under her breath, tensing her muscles so her shoulders protruded prominently and allowing the quivers to tremble through her body. She felt the flank of Stripedshadow press against her own, but that didn't help the shaking any.

"What does this mean?"  
>"Is it dangerous?" came the uproars of cats on the island as they debated the message from StarClan.<p>

"What does it mean by the four?"  
>"The four Clans, surely!"<p>

"Then there will be two more?"

"Not possible!"

"There's supposed to be four Clans!"

"Yeah! Like the four seasons!"

"Yes, but StarClan says..."

"It could mean anything!"

Lilyshadow's ears folded back against her skull at the thundering sound of arguing among the four Clans. The loud noise made her want to writhe her head back and forth in frustration, and just when she felt like she couldn't take it anymore she opened her muzzle to demand quietness.

"Enough!"

The caterwaul had not been her own. She opened her eyes to see Hollowstar pushing herself to the front of where the leaders sat, her white and bark-colored fur bristling. The island slowly hushed down at her dominating meow.

"I truly believe that this is a prophecy concerning all of us," she began, lashing her tail back and forth and speaking loudly so every cat on the patch of land could hear her. "If that is the case then I think we should all discuss the meaning of this prophecy now!" she proposed, then added, "Like the _mature _cats that we are!" Her gaze shot back to the other leaders and even Briarstar and Breezestar looked like scolded kits beneath her blazing amber irises. Emberstar, the tan elder ShadowClan leader, stepped up next to Hollowstar, addressing all the cats.

"It sounds to me as if there is sure-fire trouble coming for the Clans..." she meowed calmly in her soft voice, but loud enough so everyone could hear. "And perhaps, by my interpretation, we need two more Clans to survive it."

"How can there be six Clans?" came the yowl from some unknown cat in the crowd. This was responded to by only a hundred other cries and meows until once again the whole clearing was thrown into another state of noise. Lilyshadow could feel the heat rise up around the group of cats as more caterwauls thundered out and fur all around began to bristle. The slick sound of claws slipping out of sheathes and the image of a wave of ears folding back hit her. She could faintly hear the sound of an aggravated Hollowstar and the other leaders uselessly beckoning their cats to stop yowling, who refused to listen. Lilyshadow pictured the image of herself crawling under a tree root to hide, her paws frozen to the ground in annoyance and fear.

_"Battle..."_came the whistling sound in her ear. Her heartbeat wiggled for a moment before fluttering furiously as her head whipped around to detect the source of the voice. Stripedshadow shot her a curious look at her sudden movement.

"What?" Lilyshadow muttered under her breath, unheard by the arguing Clan cats.

"What are you -" Stripedshadow started, casting his friend a confused look, but was silenced by a flick of her silver-tipped tail.

_"There's going to be a battle..."_ buzzed the voice again as Lilyshadow's ears stretched wide and pert to hear. The hairs on the inner, pink canals twitched when she realized she recognized the voice. _"Stop it..."_

"Ivystrike?" the black she-cat gasped in an airy voice, so quiet not even Stripedshadow heard. Her icy eyes shot this way and that, but didn't pick up the sight of the shifty StarClan warrior, although her nostrils inhaled his star-dappled-water scent. Her mind fluttered with thought for just a moment before realization kicked in and her gaze whip-lashed upwards to Silverpelt to see the smoky shadows of clouds as they began to creep around the moon. "No," she whispered.

"What?" Stripedshadow echoed next to her, his features sharp as he waited for an explanation.

"StarClan can't stop this Gathering!" Lilyshadow exclaimed, her powerful shoulders springing as she bounded forward through the throng of cats, whirling around to face them as she came to stand in front of the deputies.

"QUIET!" she screeched so that every cat on the island had their ears burning. A couple blinked at her in surprise. "If you all don't stop this, StarClan's going to cut off the Gathering!" she cried, pointing to Silverpelt with her tail. The gazes of all cats, including the leaders, shifted upwards to see the shady moon. "And if that happens, then none of us will figure out what this means!" This had sent the island into a whispered hush, with a couple murmurs of curious dissatisfaction.

"Who's that?"

"She's not a warrior I've ever seen before!"

The island had settled into a calmer state after a few moments, with beady blinking eyes staring down Lilyshadow with the moonshine lake reflecting in them. A gentle trickle of nervousness creped down her, then she furrowed her whiskers and firmed her stance. That's when the clouds that had blanketed around the moon were peeled off by an unseen wind, leaving Silverpelt mistless and bright. The moonlight filtered down into the clearing, basking over the pelts of the island cats. Eyes widened in surprise as the starshine swept over Lilyshadow's fur, making the black shimmer and the silver tips glow like the pelt of a StarClan warrior. This elicited a few more murmurs that wormed around the island, until Hollowstar stepped forward to place her paws next to those of Lilyshadow, knowing in her amber eyes.

"I think... Lilyshadow is right."

No sooner than the Gathering patrol had pushed their way through the bramble tunnel of the ThunderClan camp, Hollowstar had briskly made her way across the clearing and leapt up onto Highledge.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" she let ring the ceremonial Clan-gathering meow. Both the arrival of the Gathering party and Hollowstar's sudden yowl had stirred some of the resting ThunderClan cats, who perked to life but grumbled nonetheless as they made their way out of their dens and into the clearing.

"What's going on?" asked Lionfang, Moontalon by his side, as he and a few other sleepy cats, namely Berrypelt, Dirtface, and Adderstorm, padded up to Lilyshadow and Stripedshadow as they entered the ThunderClan camp.

"News," the black tabby tom mewed curtly, merely flicking his ears in their direction since his eyes were on the ThunderClan leader as the group of them padded towards Highledge.  
>"Is something wrong?" Berrypelt asked under his breath, his tone groggy. Lilyshadow glanced into his dark blue eyes and sighed.<p>

"I don't know..." she muttered, pressing her nose to his ear for a split second, as if absorbing his body heat, the hurrying forward towards the quickly growing group of cats.  
>"Did something big happen at the Gathering?" Adderstorm asked excitedly. Lilyshadow noticed his fur fluff up out of the corner of her eyes and she growled mentally at his kittenishness, and was grateful when Stripedshadow silenced him with a flick of his feathery tail.<p>

"Cats of ThunderClan," Hollowstar began, and Lilyshadow twitched her ears tartly. She was talking to her cats too, right? "There has been some serious news from the latest Gathering." Murmurs picked up and rippled through the Clan. "Medicine cats from all the Clans, including Patternedflower, have received a prophecy." This elicited gasps from the other cats and some jumped in surprise. "When blood boils with deception and four becomes six, peace will be found on the petal of the flower that basks in the darkness before ice blankets the forest." Fearful yowls erupted throughout the ThunderClan clearing. "Calm yourselves!" shouted the leader. It took a few moments, but the cats hushed themselves at their leader's demand. "The Clans discussed the prophecy's meaning at the Gathering, since it obviously involves all the Clans," she went on. "The other leaders and I, as well as Patterenedflower and the other medicine cats, agree that this prophecy is telling us that two new Clans are to be added to the Lake." Meows of shock and anger rippled through the camp, and Lilyshadow could feel the fear scent of every cat in ThunderClan. Strangely enough, her cats' fur was flatter than the other warriors - they didn't understand the held-strong tradition of four Clans. "Enough!" Hollowstar meowed powerfully. She seemed to be the only cat in the clearing with her fur on straight; even Lilyshadow was shaking with nervousness. "It is my belief that these newcomers that have been staying with us, have been sent by StarClan as the makings of a new Clan." This time, it was Lilyshadow's cats who stepped back in surprise and bristled. Only she and Stripedshadow stayed calm.  
>"Our own Clan?" Adderstorm exclaimed.<p>

"This is mouse-brained!" hissed Lionfang, sounding more angry than scared. Lilyshadow heard a loud, annoyed grunt from Dirtface, and eager meows from Icestripe.

"Well I think it's a great idea!" meowed Jaggedtooth over the roar of whispered voices. A series of wide eyes flashed too the light-colored tabby. Lilyshadow's eyes narrowed at him and his broken tooth, gleaming in the moonlight. Did he just want her and the other newcomers gone?

"Another Clan!" came the unmistakable cry of Flamefoot. "That's ridiculous!" Jaggedtooth's stare bolted to the orange warrior and their eyes met, burning with fight.

"It doesn't matter!" Hollowstar interrupted, leaping down from Highledge. "It's been decided. This meeting is over." All the cats stood there for a moment, blinking in disbelief, then started to slowly disband throughout the clearing. Lilyshadow looked ahead at the base of Highledge where she watched Hollowstar near the entrance of her den, glancing at the black she-cat and summoning her with a flick of her tail before disappearing into the crevice.  
>"Stripedshadow," Lilyshadow murmured. "Go get Patterenedflower and tell her to come to Hollowstar's den." Without waiting for a reply, she trotted off across the camp towards the leader's den. Pushing her way inside, she glanced at the brown-and-white she-cat as she sat down, looking exhausted, in her nest. "Yes, Hollowstar?" she asked politely, even though she knew very well what the leader wanted to say.<p>

"What are you going to do about your Clan?" asked the leader. Her voice and words sent chills through Lilyshadow, as if ice had finally enveloped around her at being called part of an actual Clan. She took a deep breath and thought for a moment.

"Tell the others the plan. Then start looking for a place to make camp by the lake," she replied at last. Hollowstar nodded approvingly.

"A good place to start," she meowed. There was a short silence then the leader's amber gaze flashed to Lilyshadow's own eyes. "You realize what this means, yes?" The black she-cat blinked and swiveled her ears forward. "You'll be leader." Lilyshadow knew it was coming, but her whiskers twitched and her ears folded back anyway.

"I don't know if I -"  
>"Don't say that," Hollowstar cut her off. Lilyshadow starred at her in surprise. "StarClan has chosen you. Accept it." The black she-cat sat there in silence for a moment, her breath almost nonexistent, then her paws prickled as her claws slid out of their sheathes and she stood tall.<p>

"Very well, Hollowstar," she meowed, her voice still slightly shaky but there was at least an attempted air of confidence in the tone. The white-and-bark-colored she-cat gave a brisk nod.

"You should go get some res-" The ThunderClan leader cut herself off as the padding of paws flurried into her den, announcing the arrival of Patterenedflower. Hollowstar blinked once but excused her medicine cat's sudden interruption.

"Stripedshadow said I was needed?" she meowed, flicking her ears at the other two she-cats. Hollowstar's amber eyes twitched in Lilyshadow's direction questioningly.

"I asked Stripedshadow to go get her so the three of us could talk about the prophecy again," she explained, voice less nervous now. "I have questions." The two ThunderClan cats exchanged glances and Patterenedflower gave the she-cat a gentle, motherly frown.

"We know no more than you," she pointed out, coiling her tail in the air.

"I know," Lilyshadow said quickly. "But I have an uneasy feeling about things..." Her voice trailed off as thoughts of her nervous sensations that accompanied her dreams flooded her memory, followed by a mental image of Ivystrike as it flashed quickly through her head. "We all agree that the prophecy means that two more Clans are going to be created," she began again. The other two she-cats nodded in following. "But...obviously StarClan is insisting on two more Clans for a reason," she added and for a moment she thought she saw the fur along the ThunderClan leader's spine bristle. "You think some sort of danger is coming don't you, Hollowstar?" the black she-cat asked slowly with wide blue eyes. Once again, the leader looked to her medicine cat for a moment and the two she-cats shared a stare.

"I believe so, yes," she replied. "The prophecy means a time before ice. I assume this means a dreaded leaf-bare is ahead of all the Clans, and that we are going to need the support of each other as well as two others to get through it." Lilyshadow listened to the ThunderClan leader's explanation and then mulled it over in her mind. Perhaps...but she questioned whether or not StarClan would send a prophecy this big over something like a harsh leaf-bare, no matter how bad it may be. Although, this was all they had to go off of for now.

"Whether or not that is the case, it is the best reasoning we have at the moment for why StarClan is asking for two more Clans," Patterenedflower mewed. Lilyshadow blinked as the medicine cat spoke her thoughts. "I suggest we go with it. For now, it's all we can do." Hollowstar gave an agreeing nod to her medicine cat.

"You can start looking for a home tomorrow," she told the black she-cat. "For now, go rest. It's been a long night." Lilyshadow felt her paws twitch anxiously; she had to much energy to sleep.

"Would you like some chamomile to help you relax?" Patterenedflower offered, noticing her fidgeting paws.

"Keep it for ThunderClan," she replied with a flick of her silver-tipped tail. "I'll manage." Once again, the two ThunderClan cats exchanged knowing glances.

"You shall make a great leader, Lilyshadow," purred the medicine cat. The black she-cat's ears folded down and she felt heat creep into them. _"Doubt it,"_ she told herself softly. _"But if that's what StarClan wants..."_

Lilyshadow's eyes flickered open as the sunlight slapped the other side of her eyelids, refusing to let her sleep any longer. With a groan, she propped herself up on her paws and gave a stretch. Her pupils darted across the gently-growing bustle of the ThunderClan clearing as her cats began to awake, while others were returning from night-time patrols. She let out a massive yawn, shaking her pelt. Despite the trouble burning inside her, she had finally slept well after what seemed like a moon of restless sleep. (Actually, it had been about a moon.) She had spoken last night to some of the others before she went to bed. Her, Berrypelt, Stripedshadow, Lionfang, Dirtface, and Adderstorm had all discussed the creation of their new Clan. Lilyshadow told them her plan to find a place to make camp, and how the other Clans had given them a moon to get settled, saying that they would have to present at the next Gathering like any other. Obviously, ThunderClan was still going to help them until they found a safe place to stay. The news was taken decently across the board, except for Dirtface who seemed more aggravated with Clan life than usual. The others were then given the job of spreading the word to the other members of the new Clan. With some pushing from Berrypelt and Stripedshadow (as well as Hollowstar), Lilyshadow found herself elected as leader. Most of the others were willing to follow along with it, but in the back of her mind she wondered if they truly understood what position they were putting her in. She would be leading them. Did they respect her that much? Somehow she doubted that, but every time she opened her muzzle to interject that she wasn't cut out to be a leader, something held her back. It was as if her jaws were stuck together with something sticky. As a result, she found herself wrapped up in the position with no way out. _"StarClan must want me for something!" _she tried to remind herself with a little bit of agitation

The sound of demanding meows snapped Lilyshadow's chain of thought and she glanced up to see Twistedtail at the bramble entrance, giving out orders for the day as usual.

"Foxface, take Icestripe and Ghosttail on a border patrol towards ShadowClan territory," he meowed, flicking his crooked tail towards the dirty-speckled warrior. The fox-like cat gave a nod, but just as he was on his feet, Lilyshadow had flown across the clearing and skidded to a stop next to the ThunderClan deputy.

"I'm sorry, Twistedtail," she meowed. "But I need my cats. We've got to send out patrols to find a camp." The dark tabby looked down at her and flicked his ears.

"As long as you're in our camp, you will continue to make yourselves useful," he grumbled. "Both our warriors will keep an eye out for places you can make camp." Lilyshadow's ears dropped and she twitched her whiskers in annoyance. Her eyes glanced across the clearing to half-see Hollowstar talking with Patterenedflower and some of the senior warriors, but the leader didn't spare the black she-cat a glance. With a huff, she turned back to Twistedtail.

"Very well," she meowed. "May I lead a patrol today then?" The gruff old tomcat seemed to think carefully for a moment before nodding.

"Take whoever," he meowed, brushing her away with his awkwardly-swishing tail. Lilyshadow dipped her head gratefully and turned away, straightening herself up as she looked across the clearing. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Berrypelt, pushing himself out of the medicine den. She made her way across the clearing to him, stopping so their muzzles where barely a whisker-length from one another.

"How's Lizardclaw?" she asked softly, angling her silver-tipped ears towards her friend. The cream-colored tomcat shook his head slowly.

"Not so good," he replied. "His fever isn't as bad anymore, but he's just not getting better. Not even Patterenedflower knows what's wrong with him." The black she-cat let her ears flatten.

"I'm sorry," she meowed and gave her friend a split-second nuzzle. "Would you like to come on a patrol with me? I told Twistedtail I'd patrol the borders while looking for a place to make camp." She spoke quickly, trying to make the subject as perky as possible. Berrypelt nodded, almost happily, and flexed his paws.

"Who else?" he asked. Lilyshadow thought for a moment. "Bring Snowpaw and Dirtface," she told him. Snowpaw (along with her other "apprentices") needed to get out of camp, and she didn't need to be around here with her sick father either. Also, this way she could keep an eye on Dirtface and perhaps figure out what's been going on with him. "Find them for me and meet me at the bramble tunnel." With that, she turned tail and headed back to the camp entrance. She stopped just before she barreled into the group of gathering cats, waiting for their orders. A blur of darkness made her swivel and a shiver ran down her spine as Stripedshadow popped up next to her. She narrowed her eyes at him, folding back her ears.

"Hey, you," she purred with fake agitation. His whiskers twitched in amusement but he gave no other response. She flashed him a grateful look for his company, but then rolled her eyes, and the first thing that popped into her head was to ask him if he wanted to come on her patrol with her. She then shook her head softly. No, she couldn't favor her friends. She was already taking Berrypelt on patrol. Still, his awareness would be useful. "Do me a favor and convince Twistedtail to let you take some of our cats on patrol so you can look for a camp." He blinked once and gave her a nod before standing upright. "I'm already taking Berrypelt, Snowpaw, and Dirtface out," she added quickly. He flicked his tail in acknowledgement and said nothing else as he disappeared into the throng of cats waiting on their patrol orders for the day. Lilyshadow lowered her ears in annoyance but overlooked it as Berrypelt padded up next to her with Snowpaw and Dirtface behind him. "Good," she meowed. "Everyone ready?" She heard a 'hmph' sound from Dirtface but other than that, received nods. Ignoring the splotched-red tom, she stepped up to Twistedtail. "We're going to patrol up side the WindClan border," she told him. He gave her a non-concerning nod and swept them aside with his tail. The black she-cat shouldered her way through the bramble tunnel, followed by her patrol.

The group of cats made their way through the forest, listening to the scrambling rustle of creatures scampering away as their pawsteps padded the floor; they didn't need to be quiet since they weren't hunting. The scents of early greenleaf flooded their noses and bright green lit up their eyes.

"What are we looking out for?" came the peppy, curious mew of Snowpaw.

"We're going to look along the WindClan border to see if there's anything that could make a good camp," explained Lilyshadow. "As well as just check the borders. Don't want WindClan invading ThunderClan..." Her mind flashed back to thoughts of a bristle-pelted Desertwing at the Gathering and the fur along her ears stood up, but she cast it away with a firm shake.

"So we're just going to drop our camp on the middle of a border? Don't we need to go beyond the boundaries of the other Clans?" Lilyshadow turned. It had been Dirtface's condescending mew. She longed to yowl out at the negative tom cat, but stopped herself when she realized he had a point.  
>"We can't go beyond the Clan territories while on a patrol," she meowed in a matter-of-fact tone.<p>

"Then where are we going to stay?" asked Berrypelt as he bounded up next to the black she-cat.

"WindClan sure isn't going to give up any territory," Dirtface pointed out with an agitated tail twitch. Lilyshadow's ears folded back. He was right. But surely there must be a way...? By now, the musty smell of the open moor was wafting towards them and just moments later, Lilyshadow picked up the WindClan scent markers, as well as the ThunderClan ones, that divided the territories.

"We'll just have to look," she meowed, almost frowning. "If StarClan says it's meant to be, it'll happen." A sudden rush of brown and red fur spun around her, and she blinked quickly to see a prickly Dirtface starring her down, a snarl on his face.

"StarClan?" he yowled. "You determine our fate by listening to words from nonexistent cats?" he growled. "I won't be led by a blind leader!" Lilyshadow stared at the tom in disbelief, then a blaze of anger ran through her, coiling her tail and twitching all the way up through her whiskers.

"I am far from blind!" she hissed, her hackles sharpening and rising as she took a step towards him, like a warrior of LeopardClan ready to pounce. "StarClan is there to guide its descendents!"

"We're not even their descendents!" Dirtface bit back immediately, curling his lips back. "And even then, there's no way _dead_ cats can lead _us_!" Lilyshadow felt her claws slid out of their sheathes and she stepped in closer to the splotched tomcat, narrowing her icy eyes.

"StarClan are far more than just dead cats," she began in a voice that was far more sinister than raised in anger. "But you wouldn't believe that...or them..." she went on. "Fine, I can understand that, but if you speak of StarClan like that again, you won't last long here." Dirtface said nothing, but let out a deep rumble in his throat, backing away only slightly as his gaze grew firmer. "I've seen these starry cats," Lilyshadow went on. "They walk in my dreams. One of these days, you'll know they're real." She locked their eyes for a moment before pivoting on her paws and taking a step in the other direction. Just a moment later though, his challenging mew rang out behind her again.

"This place is dangerous! And no StarClan can protect us!" he exclaimed. The black she-cat stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, features still sharp with frustration and ferocity.

"This place isn't so dangerous that cats cannot survive here," she pointed out, her tone seemingly calm.

"We're not from here!" he yowled. "This isn't our world!"

"Well, it is our world now!" she bit back fiercely, but Dirtface was ready with a retort.

"What about kits?"

The black she-cat blinked at him in surprise. Kits...? Why would Dirtface care about kits? It wasn't like him to care for others, let alone future generations.

"Kits are raised in the Clans all the time..." she said slowly. The tomcat didn't respond this time, but starred on with determination. "The point of a Clan is for the support of others. We keep each other safe."

"How can we keep each other safe?" he bit back. Lilyshadow blinked in confusion. "We can hardly keep ourselves safe..." he went on. Thoughts of a gashed up Stoneflight, then a suffering Lizardclaw, then a stone-cold Hollystep flooded her memory and a shiver run through her. "We're not Clan cats," Dirtface added. "We don't have warrior blood." The black she-cat was quiet for a moment. She cast a sideways glance at Berrypelt and Snowpaw who had been standing on the sidelines this whole time, quiet but with distressed looks on their faces.

"Warrior blood isn't a necessity to be a good warrior," she pointed out. "It takes devotion and effort." She stepped forward, starring Dirtface straight in the eye as they came almost nose-to-nose. "We will be a Clan in time." The tom stared at her, unconvinced, so Lilyshadow went on. "Yes, this world is dangerous, but it is better to face it together." Her eyes narrowed daringly. "If you think you can fair better on your own, no one is keeping you here." The two cats looked at each other for a moment but as soon as it seemed Dirtface saw her unwavering emotion, he backed away and let out an exasperated sigh. He grumbled out a 'fine' from under his breath and turned away. Lilyshadow kept her gaze on his messy, multi-dirt-colored pelt for a long moment.

_"What is it that you are hiding, Dirtface?"_ she asked herself then padded up to stand next to him, draping her tail across his shoulders comfortingly before walking onwards. She beckoned them all with a flick of her tail as they continued along the border. Berrypelt had been quick to bound up beside her and cast her a gentle look with his starry-night eyes. _"I'm fine,"_ she thought as if her friend could hear her and gave him an appreciative look before gazing ahead.

They continued on for a while. Lilyshadow kept her nose out for WindClan and her eyes out for something useful for a new Clan.

"I'm hungry," Snowpaw groaned suddenly, lagging her paws and dropping her chin down as they walked. Lilyshadow stopped and looked over her shoulder at the young she-cat before glancing up at the sky to judge the position of the sun.

"I guess it's okay to hunt," she meowed. It was a border patrol after all, so they didn't have to bring anything back for the Clan. (Although, she made a mental note to try and do so anyway - to get on Twistedtail's good side.) "Just be careful not to chase anything into WindClan territory," she added as she sat down. Berrypelt copied her, sitting so his flank just barely brushed hers.

"Okay, I'll be back," meowed Snowpaw as she turned and ran off into the bushes. Lilyshadow let her gaze fall on a still-standing Dirtface.

"I'll go with her," he said quietly and prowled off behind the cream-colored she-cat. Lilyshadow looked at the remaining tomcat and let out a stressful breath.

"Things will be fine," Berrypelt meowed in a soothing tone, touching her flank with his tail. She closed her eyes, not moving, and felt his warm fur. It eased her anxiety slightly and she opened her eyes, only for him to pull back and wrap his tail around his paws. Her ears nearly folded back against her head in a pout, but then mentally shook away the urge.

"Yeah, thanks..." she muttered half-heartedly, drained after her argument with Dirtface.

"I..." the cream-colored tom began. She blinked up at him, waiting for him to finish, and noticed his nervous gaze on his paws. "I think you'll be a great leader." Gratitude swarmed through her and she leaned down against him as if she was tired.

"Thank you," she repeated, whiskers twitching happily. There was a pause.

"You're welcome," he replied slowly, as if it was only said because he didn't know what else to say. Lilyshadow let out a purr of amusement; she could feel his breath on the top of her head. It turned her ears hot and she flattened them as she looked up. It was strange seeing Berrypelt at this angle: looking down at her (eyes still gentle), the crook of his neck at her eyelevel, and his nose not even a whisker-length from hers. She noticed his ears swivel and fold too, and she wondered if they were as hot as hers.

A sudden rustling made her perk up to attention. Eyes flashed towards the brush as their pelt parted in the blink of an eye and a fluffed-fur Dirtface appeared before them.

"Snowpaw!" he yowled. "She's gone!"

"What?" both Berrypelt and Lilyshadow gasped as they jumped to their feet and flung forward. Dirtface twisted around and bounded towards the bushes again to lead them. "She was chasing a rabbit when the ground collapsed underneath her," he explained as their feet flew over the forest floor. The three cats galloped through the now mostly scarce wood. Lilyshadow could feel the fear scent on Berrypelt's fur as they skidded to a stop next to Dirtface. "Here," he huffed, nosing to smushed bit of ground with a gaping hole in the middle. Lilyshadow could feel the earth beneath her paws and how it seemed softer than the rest. Where was there room to fall? Was there open-air beneath the ground?

"Snowpaw!" bellowed Berrypelt, scrambling frantically up to the hole, crouching carefully and peering down into its depths. Sunlight shot into the darkness and lit up the interior. Their ears zeroed in on a distant mewling, barely audible. Gazing down, they saw the tiny, cream she-cat tossed onto a very smooth ground, what seemed miles beneath the grass they stood on. "Snowpaw?"

"I'm down here!" came the echoing sound of her far-off meow as she rose her head to look at them, looking even more tiny.

"Are you okay?" yowled a desperate Berrypelt, stuffing his muzzle in between the rocks.

"My leg hurts..!" the little she-cat wailed, as if the words were an effort. She was still laying at an awkward angle, refusing to move the rest of her body. Lilyshadow squinted to see her fragile little leg sprawled out in a strange position she had never seen a cat's leg before.  
>"Should I run back and get help?" Dirtface spoke up, relatively calm sounding. Lilyshadow didn't think to take his attitude as just composure or apathy, and she hoped it was the first.<br>"Hurry," she meowed curtly and the splotched tom barreled off through the forest. Beside her, Berrypelt was looking down through the dim light at his sister, tensed up intensely like he was stalking a mouse. The black she-cat's ears flattened. There was no way they were going to reach her from here. Her head turned this way and that, looking for some glimmer of an alternative. It wasn't long before she found herself pacing in circles, hopelessly trying to think of something to do and not possibly thinking that there was another way into the underground to reach Snowpaw. The slight sound of pawsteps made her look up to see a few cats crossing the border towards them, unmistakably WindClan. Lilyshadow's eyes narrowed and she straightened up as much as she could when she saw the sharp, sandy pelt of Desertwing in the lead.

"What are you kitties doing here?" he asked harshly, boring into Lilyshadow's fur with his eyes which were no more ice-cold than her own.

"We never crossed the border!" she bit back, hair bristling. They didn't have time for them. In fact, they had in fact crossed the border to talk to them, but she wasn't about to start throwing around accusations at the moment. "One of our cats has fallen through the ground and we need to find a way to help her," she explained quickly, glancing over the WindClan cats as if she dared any of them to make this any worse. Beside was Desertwing was a small white she-cat, no doubly recently apprenticed, with patches of blazing orange fur, and to his other side was a light brown she-cat with thin hips.

"Is she alright?" squeaked the WindClan apprentice. Lilyshadow opened her mouth to reply but Desertwing's tail snapped in front of the young cat's orange muzzle.  
>"Quiet, Rosepaw!" he ordered with heat in his eyes. Lilyshadow thought she saw the brown she-cat give the tom a harsh gaze as she stepped forward. Her voice was much lighter than her Clan mates and she didn't speak with any hostility. "If she's fallen underground than there is a good chance she fell into the old tunnels," she explained. This made Berrypelt look up, alert.<p>

"The old tunnels?" he repeated, jumping to his feet.

"I can show you," she said with a quick nod and turned back towards WindClan territory. Berrypelt and Lilyshadow exchanged a half-moment glance before following her, with the other two WindClan cats streaking after them. Just as they were about to cross the border, Lilyshadow caught a few familiar whiffs just before a border patrol appeared, Stripedshadow and Dirtface in front.

"Look who I ran into," Dirtface panted, then his hackles raised suddenly at the sight of the other Clan cats.

"Calm down," the black she-cat hissed to him. "They think they can show us a way to get down to Snowpaw," she explained as she looked over the patrol quickly. Blazetail weas there, with Ledgepaw hiding in the back. "Dirtface, take the others back to the hole to keep an eye on Snowpaw. Stripedshadow, you and Berrypelt come with me and the WindClan cats." The directions came from her mouth easily, but she didn't think about that at the moment because she bulleted after the WindClan she-cat without another word. She could feel the bodies of Berrypelt blurring beside her, as well as Stripedshadow behind them as he glided over the scratchy moor grass in silence.

_"Thank StarClan Dirtface found his patrol instead of a ThunderClan one,"_ she told herself. All she needed was for Twistedtail to see her fail as a leader once, and for Hollowstar to be let down by her. She pushed the thought away as the WindClan warriors herded them to a ruffle of dirt in the ground, like a massive collar, almost hidden by weeds and stones. In the middle was a gaping hole in the ground, not much larger than a rabbit's burrow.

"Rabbittail, the tunnels are part of WindClan's territory!" growled an obviously annoyed Desertwing behind them. She weaved around on him.

"That was a long time ago!" she snarled. "Plus, a cat is in danger! We have to help them!" Desertwing's jaws clamped tightly shut, but his eyes didn't lose their hateful stare. "It's been a long time since anyone was down there," Rabbittail said quickly, turning to Lilyshadow and her friends. "WindClan doesn't even use these tunnels anymore. Most cats have practically contributed them to legend, and most of the entrances have been closed up," she said. "I don't know if we'll be able to help you through."

"That's fine," Lilyshadow nodded curtly. "Thanks." She didn't give it anymore thought before she poked her head into the dark tunnel, testing it with her whiskers, then plunged into the shadows.

Snowpaw held her ears flat against her head, eyes cringed shut in the dim light as she tried to ignore the throbbing pain that squeezed her hind leg. She tried wiggling her toes again and held back a shriek of pain when it made her whole leg twitch.

"Snowpaw!" She looked up at the call of her name to see the gentle, mud-colored face of Ledgepaw. A sliver of hope ran through her as she saw him peer down at her, and she recognized the face of Blazetail hovering over him, with the grouchy grumble of Dirtface's voice beyond that. But...where were Lilyshadow and her brother?

"Don't worry!" Ledgepaw shouted into the hole, trying to give the small she-cat an awkward smile that she could barely see anyway.

"Yeah!" chimed Blazetail, in a much more uplifting tone. "Lilyshadow's on her way to you right now!" This made Snowpaw feel just a bit better, and would've helped even more if another surge of pain hadn't hit her back leg again. Wait... How were they going to get to her?

This was the first time the small she-cat had looked around. The area in which she had landed was rather large. It was like a huge dome with walls made of sturdy earth. It wasn't stone, per say, but it was almost as if the soil had hardened over hundreds and hundreds of moons, solidifying themselves into what might as well be rock. Only the earth at the top was soft and crumbling, hence the gaping hole in the ceiling. She glanced around the underground clearing, noticing passageways leading into unknown darkness. The corners of the clearing were shadowed too, but the time in the dim light had helped her soft blue eyes adjust, letting her make out the forms of rocks, like ledges, up the side of some of the walls, with what seemed like more tunnels on them. How were there such crevices in the earth, and yet they did not cause the ground around them to collapse? What was this place? She tilted her head more as she looked and a sudden glint made her blink her eyes away. That was strange... Light? Down here? The sunlight continued to filter in through the newly made hole. Snowpaw followed the ray of light down until she saw the source of the spark. Jutting out of the ground, mounds of rock and earth nestled around it like a bird's nest, was a huge stone, standing at least a few tail lengths taller than her - maybe only a head taller than a full-grown cat. Only, this stone wasn't dark and ugly like any stone she had ever seen before. This stone was smooth, yet sharp in certain places. It was a soft white, but not quite clear, and the way the sun from above hit it caused it to almost give off its own glow in the darkness. Snowpaw's eyes sparkled in the dim light as she starred at it, wondering how something like that, or this clearing, existed beneath their paws. That's when a scrambling sound echoed around her and she turned her head to see a fierce looking Lilyshadow wriggling out one of the passageways that led out of the underground clearing.

"Snowpaw!" she exclaimed, bolting towards the apprentice. The black she-cat's eyes swept over her, looking particularly at the weird-looking leg, as Berrypelt and Stripedshadow made their way in as well and appeared by her side.

"Are you alright?" Berrypelt asked, licking his sister multiple times between her ears. She shot him an 'I'm not a kit' look and Lilyshadow almost chuckled, her friend reminding her much of an overprotective queen with her kits.

"It's my foot..." the young she-cat moaned, the look on her face reflecting the pain she was trying to hide. Lilyshadow admired her bravery and felt a twinge of sympathy.

"It looks broken," Stripedshadow murmured as he looked at it, then starred upwards at the cats peering down from above. "We're going to need Patterenedflower!" he called up to them. Icestripe was the first to nod and disappear, likely to go fetch the medicine cat. Lilyshadow nodded gratefully to her dark friend who seemed not to catch the meaning because he turned and began looking around the underground clearing.

"You should've been more careful," Berrypelt scolded softly, seemingly trying to smooth his little sister's fur. She no longer seemed to disapprove of his fawning. Lilyshadow crouched next to them, scuffing her friend over the ear.

"Calm down," she muttered. "She'll be fine." Her eyes kept going back to Snowpaw's injured leg and she winced. Unable to look, she turned away and found herself looking around the clearing as well. It was surprisingly brighter than she thought it would've been, especially once her eyes adjusted. She paid particular attention to the multiple tunnels leading out of the clearing. Most were a little on the smaller side, but others seemed perfect for a cat to slide through, and even a couple were rather large, able to fit a couple cats. Some anxious curiosity inside the black she-cat made her wonder where they all led, and how many other tunnels there were.

"Hey." Lilyshadow looked up in the direction of the mutter; Berrypelt was still more than preoccupied tending to his sister. She made her way across the ground, soft, smooth, and sandy, to where Stripedshadow stood in the shadows. A soft glimmer of light made her eyes widen and hurried. Standing beside him, her eyes fell on what he had wanted her to look at - the ledges with their crevices, and the bright, silvery stone coming out of the earth. Her eyes lit up like, looking more like ice than ever in the soft light, and she took a step closer to it. It was a very slight, tiny glow that the sunlight caused the stone to give off, but it hit her black pelt when she stood close and lit it up like that of a StarClan warrior's. She almost gasped and took a step back, looking over her shoulder at her friend. He flicked a curious ear at her, looking between her and the stone.

"This it?" he asked quietly. Lilyshadow blinked once, and in that split moment she felt the whisk of a fur whirl around her and she felt the hot breath of a cat on the back of her neck, almost seeing a flash of emerald irises out of the corner of her own eyes. _"Ivystrike...?"_

_"This is it," _he whispered.


	9. Chapter 8

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 8

"Use the tunnels?" Rabbittail repeated in a taken back voice, falling a step backwards. "As camp?"

"It sounds ridiculous, I know..." Lilyshadow muttered, flattening her ears and swishing her tail back and forth as she tried not to look at the other she-cat.

"I don't know..." the WindClan warrior said softly in an almost sympathetic tone. "You might have a hard time getting Briarstar to fork over what was once WindClan territory." Lilyshadow's ears lurched forward, making it obvious she was intending to listen. With a sigh, Rabbittail leaned forward and spoke quietly, out of shot of the other two WindClan cats behind her. "The Clans didn't always live here around the Lake," she began. Lilyshadow nodded. She knew the stories of how the four Clans had once lived in an amazing forest and gathered every moon in a clearing with four great oak trees, but were drove out by Twolegs to the home they now reside in. "Even farther back then that, back in the old territory, WindClan cats were trained as tunnelers!" The black she-cat's eyes blinked in surprise. "The tradition was outgrown when we started chasing rabbits out on the open moor rather than into their burrows... But when we came to the new territory and we discovered the tunnels, they were declared ours. They span all the way through WindClan, ThunderClan, and some ShadowClan territory so they were used for raids. But all the activity had supposedly made the tunnels collapse!" Rabbittail paused. "I guess that part was legend..." Lilyshadow growled to herself. How could she convince the other Clans to let her have the tunnels? They were one-way accesses to the other territories, not that she'd be planning any raids.

"You say WindClan doesn't use these tunnels anymore?" she asked. Rabbittail shook her thin head.

"But you'll have to come up with some pretty strict rules for yourself to get the other leaders to agree to it, I'm sure," she added quickly.

"That's the place, though!" the black she-cat breathed. "I just know it!" The brown WindClan cat's whiskers furrowed for a moment.

"Good luck, Lilyshadow," she murmured, getting to all four paws and making the black she-cat look up. "Some cats agree with the creation of the new Clan..." Lilyshadow could tell by the look in her eyes that this she-cat was one of them.

"Why do you support it?" she couldn't help but ask. She followed Rabbittail's gaze as it shifted over her shoulder to Desertwing and Rosepaw as they talked and weaved around the border.

"Things have been changing around the Lake lately..." she muttered, her whiskers drooping.

"What things?" The words jumped out of Lilyshadow's mouth before she realized it and for a moment Rabbittail looked surprised.

"Cats have been changing... and there have been more rogues around lately..." The black she-cat's thoughts drifted back to the band of rogues that Lionfang had helped push out just before the Gathering, the same ones that had injured Stoneflight. So... WindClan was experiencing rogue problems just like ThunderClan? Rabbittail's voice broke her train of thought. "Whatever the new Clan is here to help fight off, don't forget that not all cats are against you." Lilyshadow's eyes flashed with gratitude and she dipped her head to the WindClan warrior.

"Thank you."

"Hey, new-Clan-kitties!" snapped Desertwing as he padded over to them, showing Lilyshadow his teeth. She scowled at the nickname. "Shouldn't you be getting back to ThunderClan?" Lilyshadow looked over her shoulder at the group of her cats gathered around an exhausted and somewhat dirty-looking Snowpaw as her brother rasped his tongue over her back leg - as if it would help.

"We should..." the black she-cat growled softly, eyeing Desertwing with disdain. She turned back to Rabbittail. "Thanks again for your help." The two she-cats exchanged a nod and the WindClan cats began to turn away. Lilyshadow watched them for a moment before calling out suddenly, like she couldn't help it. "Rabbittail!" The lean, brown she-cat turned to look one last time. "Do you think you can...ask for me...?" The WindClan warrior looked down sadly, but then flicked her tail.

"I'll...see what I can do," she replied and bounded away onto the moor, Desertwing and Rosepaw on her paws. Lilyshadow watched them go, feeling a sudden pang of guilt for the WindClan apprentice as she struggled to keep up. She'd feel sorry for any cat with Desertwing as a mentor!

"We need to get Snowpaw back to camp," came the stern mew from beside her. She turned and suddenly saw Stripedshadow at her flank. She blinked once, then nodded. Her blue eyes went over the group of cats.

"Uh... Okay.." She eyed her dark-pelted friend. "Stripedshadow, divide the rest of the cats into two patrols and finish marching the borders," she directed in a choppy voice. "Berrypelt and I will take Snowpaw back to camp." The black tabby's green eyes sparkled at her for a moment and he flicked an amused ear in her direction, but got to his paws and followed her orders nonetheless. Flanking Snowpaw's left, and Berrypelt her right, they propped her up between their shoulders and helped stagger the injured apprentice back to camp. The travel back went on in more-or-less silence, but Lilyshadow kept her eyes on a worried-looking Berrypelt. His gaze wouldn't leave his sister's face and he wouldn't so much as twitch a toe without making sure she could make the move as well. When the three of them finally made it back to ThunderClan camp, Lilyshadow was happy to break the awkward silence. Heads were already turning the moment they pushed their way through the bramble tunnel, but Lilyshadow shouted out anyway.

"Snowpaw needs help!" She was about to yell for Patterenedflower when a blur of brown and white streaked across the clearing, a green bundle in her jaws.

"I got it!" Spiritpetal said between the leaves as she trotted up the cream-pelted cats, dropping the herbs on the ground. The black she-cat cast them sympathetic looks and turned to leave her to work.

"What happened?" growled Twistedtail as he cantered towards her. She suddenly felt her ears grow hot and it was as if a large chunk of mouse was caught in her throat at the sight of his authority. The old tabby's nose twitched and his eyes tightened. "You have WindClan scent all over you!" he hissed. "What happened?"

"Snowpaw fell into the underground tunnels out of no where," she explained quickly as she tried to sharpen her gaze but probably only succeeded in making herself look more frightened. "We got some WindClan cats to show us a way into the tunnels so we could rescue her." The ThunderClan deputy looked her over skeptically and after a moment of huffing to himself, seemed to buy the story.  
>"Fine," he grumbled.<p>

"Where is Hollowstar?" Lilyshadow bleated, Twistedtail having almost not finished his word. The deputy looked slightly bemused at the sudden outburst but looked over her head anyways.

"She took a large hunting patrol out earlier," he responded. "She won't be back for a while." Lilyshadow could've groaned loudly at that news. Twistedtail didn't spare her a moment more for questions and padded past her into the crowd of cats that were looking on at Spiritpetal as she worked on Snowpaw. Taking a moment to survey the camp, Lilyshadow noticed that (besides the cats she knew were with Stripedshadow) it was missing Cloverfur, Ashpaw, Adderstorm, and Ghosttail - a healthy mix of her cats and ThunderClan cats. With a sigh, she plopped her hindquarters onto the ground. What was she going to do now? She looked this way and that and finally, in a desperate hope to get out of the crowd, decided to step into the nursery.

She pushed her way inside, instantly enveloped in warmth as if this den held in more heat than the others. Her eyes blinked once, then twice in the dimmer light before they fell on Redmarigold in the back corner of the den with Owlkit and Redkit nestled tightly up to her belly. They had grown a little since she had seen them last, and their eyes were starting to open.

"I keep telling them it's past time for their eyes to open," came the squeak from the other side of the den. Lilyshadow looked up to see Hollykit laying boredly across her mother. The soft, young she-cat was a nice size and easily ready to be apprenticed; for a moment, Lilyshadow wondered why Hollowstar hadn't held her apprentice ceremony yet.

"Hollykit!" her mother scolded. A deep, calm chuckle rose from the chest of the blazing ginger tabby next to Lilyshadow in the darkness, and she turned her blue eyes back to the older queen.

"Quite alright, Pearlnose," she chortled. "I agree with you! It is time!" she purred and nuzzled the two bundles happily. Lilyshadow felt her gaze soften at the affection for just a moment. Owlkit was chomping determinedly at her brother's ear, flexing her tiny paws as she attempted to roll on top of him; although they were moving so slow it was almost impossible to notice.

"I don't know about them, but I'm ready to get out of here!" Hollykit wailed again, bounding over Pearlnose as her mother rolled her eyes. Lilyshadow's ears lurched forward as the almost-apprentice dropped herself right beside Lilyshadow's front silver paws. "I'm really ready for my mentor!" The black she-cat chuckled down at her.

"I wonder who it'll be?" she played along. Her mind quickly ran over the ThunderClan warriors lacking apprentices. There weren't many, and all of them were young. "What about Foxface?" Hollykit and her mother looked at the black she-cat and blinked.

"Foxface is her father," Pearlnose said with a nervous giggle.

"Oh," Lilyshadow muttered, ears hot. She knew Clan cats hardly ever mentored their kits. She just now realized Hollykit's sharp angled face and ears, much like Foxface's, even though she shared her mother's snow-white pelt.

"My son would make a great mentor though..." sighed a wistful Redmarigold blankly. Lilyshadow's eyes fluttered in the dark.

"Son?" she repeated.

"Yes," the red tabby nodded proudly. "Him and Flamefoot both. They're brothers." The black she-cat thought for a moment. It made since; they were both a lot alike in appearance.

"So this isn't your first litter?" Lilyshadow went on. She almost thwacked herself in the head with her tail; that was a dumb question. Then her whiskers seemed to curl in disgust as she thought of something. "Surely not all with Jaggedtooth?"

"Oh StarClan, no!" Redmarigold purred. "Foxface and Flamefoot were my first litter, and Bristlepaw was from my second." Lilyshadow once again blinked in surprise, and she got the sneaky feeling that Redmarigold was once of those Clan cats that did their part for the Clan by staying in the nursery. The queen didn't seem like much of a fighter or a hunter anyway. "And these two bundles of joy are my third, but... they're my first with Jaggedtooth." The red queen seemed to get hung up on the broken-toothed warrior's name. Jaggedtooth was Bristlepaw's mentor... Maybe that was how Redmarigold and he had gotten together? Through the red queen's daughter? Lilyshadow went over the orange fur of Bristlepaw's, Foxface's, and Flamefoot's pelts in her mind. Surely the toms and the apprentice shared the same father?

"What happened to your first mate?" she asked without thinking, then wished she could take the nosey question back when she saw the twang of grief written all over Redmarigold's face. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't hav-"

"Redmarigold's old mate killed Bristlepaw's two sisters!" Hollykit exclaimed.

"Hollykit!" Pearlnose shouted, scuffing her daughter roughly across the ears.

"It's alright, Pearlnose," the older queen said slowly, her eyes focused on her current kits. The glossy layer in Lilyshadow's eyes made them appear almost as if they were quivering, and she suddenly felt her paws grow weaker as her ears flattened back against her skull.

"Redmarigold... I'm so sorry..." she whispered in the dark of the nursery. The red queen shook her head.

"It's not your fault... It was before you were with us," she went on, paused, then exhaled loudly. "Pantherear never wanted daughters..." she added. Lilyshadow's claws slipped out of their sheathes and flexed against the soft nursery floor, but this went unnoticed.

"_What kind of cat could kill his own kits?" _she scowled in her mind.

"I am just glad that Flamefoot got to him in time, or I would've lost Bristlepaw as well," she sighed, then gazed at the wall as if it reflected something that only she could see. "She does look so much like him though..." Lilyshadow imagined Bristlepaw's black fur with splashes of orange fur like scratch marks. A tom that looked like that...? Her eyes fell down to the small cups of fur against Redmarigold's belly and a blaze went through her. Ice eyes narrowed and she turned sharply on her paws. She barreled out of the nursery, shoving past Moontalon as she entered. Her fast pace broke in the center of the clearing where she almost stumbled to a stop, pacing back and forth anxiously.

"How could someone do something like that?" she yowled outloud when she couldn't take it anymore.

"Something like what?" came the peep behind her, making her jump forward in surprise. She turned around to see a fluffy-furred Bearclaw with his usual goofy disposition.

"Hey..." she muttered lamely, casting her gaze sideways. "Nothing."

"Nothing, nothing," the tabby mocked with an amused smirk. "You were pacing." He paused and there was a moment of silence since Lilyshadow refused to speak. "What were you doing in the nursery?"

"Just talking to Pearlnose and Redmarigold..." she said absentmindedly. For some reason this got a chuckle out of the marbled tabby tom.

"Talking to queens?" he repeated, taking a step closer to her. "Not making plans are you?" For a moment Lilyshadow sat still, as if trying to decode his words, but she jumped back when she felt his flank brush against hers, and her hackles raised as she realized the message.

"What?" she squeaked. "No!" The words came out a bit harsher than she had meant them, and a couple sets of eyes around the clearing zeroed in on her. Her ears flattened hotly as she tried to flatten her fur. Meanwhile, Bearclaw was chuckling at her reaction. "You're a she-cat!" he exclaimed. "You've got to have kits sometime!" Lilyshadow could practically feel the twitch in her back teeth as she felt the urge to bite down on his tail as hard as she could. How much more sexist could you get? It was up to a she-cat as to whether or not she wanted to have kits! A jet of fury flurried through her, starting in her ears, and blazing downwards into her paws where it came out in the form of her claws. Her muscles tensed.

"Why you - !" She was getting ready to tackle him when out of no where the bright white-and-brown pelt of Spiritpetal stepped between them. Lilyshadow had been so annoyed by Bearclaw she hadn't even noticed her presence.

"Lilyshadow?" the herb-smelling she-cat cooed. "Can we talk?"

"Uh..." she stammered, uncoiling her muscles. "Sure." Spiritpetal nodded and led her away with a flick of her tail, but Lilyshadow was sure she felt Bearclaw's gaze boring into her pelt as she left. "Thanks," she sighed after they were out of ear-shot. "I was about to claw his ears off." Spiritpetal looked like she wanted to spare the black she-cat an amused look, but something else in her eyes seemed to be nagging at her fur. "What is it?" Lilyshadow asked, immediately sensing something was wrong.

"I had a dream last night," she began and the black she-cat's interest was piqued at once. She stepped forward, paws anxious and ears upright. "I was in a dark..." She paused, looking for the right word. "...not den... It was as large as a clearing... almost a cave... It smelled like I was underground!" Lilyshadow couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And I saw this bright stone, jutting up out of the ground. Everything felt so cool and welcoming...like... I was supposed to go there!" Lilyshadow could hardly keep her paws still from excitement. "Do you think it's a dream from StarClan?" she asked slowly.

"Is it?" Lilyshadow repeated. "Of course it is! Spiritpetal, that's amazing! That's the underground clearing that Snowpaw fell into!" The brown-and-white she-cat's eyes glittered with surprise.

"Do you think... that... _I'm_ supposed to be the new Clan's medicine cat?" she questioned, stuttering between words. Lilyshadow sighed with relief.

"That's the _only_ thing I'm sure of, Spiritpetal," she chuckled and this time the other she-cat purred in amusement with her.

"Well, I need to get back to the medicine den," Spiritpetal beamed. Lilyshadow nodded and remembered that the medicine cats must be busy. A lot of cats were being quarantined to the medicine den.

_ "All my cats..."_ she thought bitterly. Spiritpetal's voice broke her mental scolding. "Oh, I think Patterenedflower sent Silverstorm out to collect some goldenrod for us since we're so busy here. It grows well this time of year so he'll probably have more than he can carry. Can you go help him, please?" She didn't give Lilyshadow time to respond and bounded off across the clearing again. The black she-cat shrugged. Why not? It would give her something to do. Plus, Silverstorm knew Hollowstar better than any other cat. Maybe he could tell her what the ThunderClan leader would think of her tunnel idea.

Talking with Spiritpetal had put Lilyshadow back in a Clan-construction mood after her depressing conversation with Redmarigold and her even more aggravating conversation with Bearclaw. So when she found Silverstorm clawing through a patch of yellow, dust-like flowers just beyond ThunderClan camp, she was eager to talk.

"Hey," she meowed as she approached the handsome tom cat. His white fur held its traditional silver tinge in the bright sunlight. "Spiritpetal sent me to help you carry goldenrod," she explained.

"Thanks," he beamed as he continued plucking the flowers with his claws. "I hear Snowpaw fell underground. Is she okay?" Lilyshadow was glad he had been so kind to bring up the topic for her.

"We think she broke her leg," she replied and she saw genuine sympathy flash across the young warrior's face.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, stopping what he was doing. "Your Clan seems to have a stroke of bad luck." The black she-cat felt a pleasant warmth inside her when he said 'Clan', but she couldn't help but deny he was right.

"Yeah, well..." She paused for something; what, exactly, she wasn't sure. "We'll manage. So... I might've found a place for our camp," she went on, moving the conversation along in her direction. The silver tom's ears lurched towards her. "The underground tunnels!" she exclaimed with so much excitement she probably looked like an over-grown kit.

"The ones WindClan used to use for raids a long time ago?" he asked inquisitively, almost as if there were some other set of underground tunnels in the area.

"Yeah," she replied, but with less enthusiasm. "What?"

"You're going to have a hard time convincing the leaders that the tunnels won't give your Clan an unfair advantage," he pointed out. This was nothing that Lilyshadow hadn't been told at least ten times, but she wouldn't get mad at the young warrior.

"I know.." she sighed. "What do you think Hollowstar would say?" Silverstorm was quiet for a moment, then he straightened himself up as if he was steadying them both for his words; Lilyshadow took note that when he wanted too he stood just an ear-length or less taller than her.

"If I were Hollowstar," he began. "I wouldn't mind letting you lead a Clan from the tunnels, Lilyshadow." The black she-cat's heart jumped in her chest. "But... I might not let someone else lead a Clan from the tunnels." She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "You're not about to go raiding any of the other Clans anytime soon," he went on, and Lilyshadow nodded in quick agreement. "But someone else might. Someone else like... let's say... Dirtface?" Lilyshadow couldn't help it when a shiver went down her spine at the mention of the brown-and-red splotched tom.

"He wouldn't..." she said under her breath.

"Would he?" repeated the handsome tom.

Silverstorm and Lilyshadow returned to ThunderClan camp with so much goldenrod in their jaws that pieces were falling out here and there, leaving a trail as they made their way towards the medicine den. The closer they got, Lilyshadow couldn't help but notice a steadily-growing commotion about the camp. A few more cats than usual were crowded around the medicine den entrance. Could Snowpaw have that many visitors? Her and Silverstorm stopped in their tracks and Lilyshadow put down the herbs to ask what was going on, but before she did, all eyes were already on her - or at least, it seemed that way. Every cat turned to lock a stare onto her, and it created a strange tickling on the tips of her hairs.

"Where have you been?" came the strangely cross mew of Berrypelt as he shoved his way out of the crowd to stand directly in front of Lilyshadow.

"Wha...?" she stammered, dumbfounded by his uncharacteristic ferocity. "I... was gathering herbs for Spiritpetal... What's wrong?" Berrypelt's blue eyes were almost as dark as night, and seemed awkwardly large as he starred her down. "What's wrong?" she repeated again. She saw a twitch ripple down the cream-colored tom's spine.

"Lizardclaw's dead!" he snapped. Lilyshadow felt her breathing stop as she recognized the feeling in his eyes: hurt.

"Berrypelt..." she whispered. "I'm... so sorry... I -"  
>"Where were you?" he asked again, cutting her off. "Where were you when I needed you?"<p>

"I'm sorry...! Spiritpetal asked me to-"

"You knew Snowpaw had gotten hurt!" he cut her off again, his pelt prickling. "You knew we were having a rough time already, and that we needed you! Where were you?" Lilyshadow felt her heart drop into her paws along with all the blood in her body. "And why did **he **go with you?" the cream warrior went on, flicking an ear towards Silverstorm. She felt cold sweep through her and she felt like a stone sinking beneath the stare he was giving her. She couldn't understand... Did Silverstorm standing beside her mean so much? She stepped towards her friend.

"Berry-" She cut herself off when she watched him take a step back, away from her. His eyes flashed darkly one more time and he turned, disappearing through the crowd of cats back into the medicine den. The heart in Lilyshadow's paws seemed to shake as it tried to beat. She tried to take a breath and it struggled uselessly before shattering. Heaviness set in on her, freezing her to the spot. Her line of sight shifted down to the dirt where her eyes starred lifelessly, her body all but stone.

"You see?" came the unmistakable snarl of Dirtface as he padded towards them, turning heads of other cats around him. Lilyshadow didn't even look up. "I told you!" he ranted on. "See what you've done?" he growled, continuing to march towards her ever fiercely. "Stoneflight was shredded to pieces! Snowpaw has broken her leg! Hollystep is dead, and now so is Lizardclaw!" he raged. "You're going to lead us to our deaths!" Thoughts of the cats he named bolted through her mind and she shook with each one. They were all hurt or gone because she led them here to the Clans...

"How dare you judge her?" bit back the strong voice of the warrior next to her as she smelt goldenrod hit the ground beside her. It was Silverstorm.

"I do dare!" Dirtface hissed back, taking a challenging step towards the ThunderClan warrior. By now they had created quite a fuss and they were surrounded by other cats. "She hasn't helped a single thing go right for us! And now when one of her best friends needed her the most, she was off somewhere else!" Lilyshadow could practically feel claws ripping through her flesh at the splotched tom's words. Actually, part of her wished she would be ripped to shreds right now.

"Lizardclaw's death had nothing to do with her!" Silverstorm retorted. "And the other problems weren't her fault either! She had no way of controlling them!" Why was he defending her?

"When something happens to a member of the Clan it _does _fall under the responsibility of the leader, does it not?" growled Dirtface. The silver ThunderClan warrior looked on harshly, at a lack of words. The other tom made a point that he couldn't argue with. "And she obviously can't handle it..." Dirtface's words stung her like shards of ice shooting through her. She opened her mouth wider to breathe, but it didn't help any. The black she-cat just continued staring blankly at her paws. "And now..." he went on with a deep-throated growl as he took a step nearer. "She won't even fight back!" He quickly shoved his shoulder against her flank, knocking her to the ground.

"Hey!" Silverstorm jeered and nudged the other tom roughly as if to get him away, but stopped when he noticed that Dirtface wasn't advancing. Rather, he was just glaring down at Lilyshadow with a revolted gaze. Lilyshadow winced silently at the twitch in her stomach from where he had shoved her, and looked up at him to meet his eyes.

"A real leader fights back!" he spat. His words washed over her like the cold of leaf-bare. She looked down at nothing and forced herself to her feet without a word.

"Lilyshadow..." Silverstorm muttered. "Are you ... ?" The black she-cat shook her head before the ThunderClan cat could finish asking. A dissatisfied huff came from the brown-and-red tom.

"You can't even protect your beliefs or yourself..." he said lowly in disgust. "How can I expect you to protect a Clan?" Lilyshadow looked away, refusing to look at him, and said nothing once again. She heard his loud, frustrated screech and the sounds of a few cats stirring in surprise. Then all at once a shearing pain exploded from her right ear as she felt claws rip though the flesh. The sting of hot liquid gushed out of the wound and she let out a painful yowl as she jumped to her feet. Blood tunneled into her ear canal and trickled down the side of her face, dampening her fur. She turned slowly back towards her attacker, eyes registering color and movement very slowly. A blur of black was the first thing she noticed. Stripedshadow, out of nowhere, had just slipped between her and Dirtface. She blinked and steadied herself, shaking her head, although that only sent throbbing pain through her ear. Her eyes fell on Dirtface again, who stood firm as he glared at her despite having it appear as if at least five cats were about to jump on him, Silverstorm and Stripedshadow being among them. She took a boulder-heavy step and found herself leaning against the black tabby, recognizing his scent more than his image. She blinked again. Stripedshadow? The other patrols must be back... That meant...

"What in the name of StarClan is going on here?" came the demanding, regal meow of Hollowstar as she shouldered her way through the mess of cats. A disappointed Twistedtail was by her side. When the ThunderClan leader's eyes fell on Lilyshadow and her bloody ear, then Dirtface's extended claws, she batted her eyes in shock and swallowed. Twistedtail's deep, stern gaze zeroed in on Dirtface.

"What should we do with him, Hollowstar?" the gruff deputy asked. The tall bark-colored-and-white she-cat seemed to think for a moment before she looked at the shell-of-a-Lilyshadow.

"He is not part of ThunderClan..." she said calmly, walking slowly towards the black she-cat. "Let his leader punish him." Lilyshadow blinked once at Hollowstar's words, then heard Dirtface groan as he rolled his eyes. She wheezed in a shaky breath of air and stood stiffly, lumbering towards the brown-and-red tom. Her paws came to a stop when she was a whisker's length in from him.

"You're not going to hit me back?" he asked, sounding annoyed. When Lilyshadow did nothing, he growled angrily. "Come on! Fight back!" he snarled.

"Why should I harm what you tell me I'm supposed to protect?" she said back softly. A few murmurs ran through the throng of cats at her words. Dirtface seemed slightly surprised and took a small step backwards.

"Then...punish me," he retaliated. Lilyshadow's gaze fell once more.

"I won't punish you for being right," she muttered and turned away. The brown-and-red tom cat starred at her in disbelief, as did many of the other cats around them. They watched her walk away slowly, as if her body was heavier than normal, then glared at Dirtface again.

"She should've clawed your face off," growled Lionfang as he shoved past him.

"She should've made you do it yourself!" Adderstorm added hatefully as he walked the other way.

"She should've made him leave..."  
>Dirtface turned around to face the speaker of the newest comment, wincing as he did. Glaring back at him was a flat-eared Cloverfur.<p>

Lilyshadow had hobbled over to hide in the shadow beneath the Highledge. An unusually distressed Stripedshadow padded up to her front, looking closely at her ripped ear.

"You should go to Patterenedflower..." he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"No!" she hissed, turning away, her body almost quivering. There was no way she was going into the medicine den... Not with _him _being in there. He brushed closer towards her, trying to get a look at her face again. He breathed out half of the word 'why' before she shouted back at him, "Because Berrypelt hates me!" The black tabby froze in place. They sat in silence and he watched her shake, refusing to look his way.

"No..." he muttered as he leaned closer. "He doesn't." He rasped his tongue once over the tear in her ear and pulled back. She winced at the stinging pain, then almost wished it was back as he walked away. She sat there alone and quiet for what seemed like a while - until the sun started to set and they brought Lizardclaw's body out into the center of the clearing, arranging him so he appeared to be sleeping as Patterenedflower laced his pelt with herbs. Both Berrypelt and Snowpaw were with the three medicine cats, despite Snowpaw being told she shouldn't; she leaned between Spiritpetal and Berrypelt for balance. Lilyshadow also noticed the three elders pulling slowly out of their den and making their way to the center of the clearing, apparently to sit vigil over Lizardclaw.

"So... are you going to tell me what happened?" came the calm voice to her left. Lilyshadow looked up to see Hollowstar by her side, looking intently at the small group of cats in the middle of ThunderClan camp. The black she-cat did nothing for a moment, then shook her head. "Ah," the leader breathed as if Lilyshadow had actually answered a question.

"Why is Lizardclaw getting a Clan tribute?" she asked quietly, not looking at the white-and-bark-colored she-cat.

"He is an elder," she explained. "All elders deserve respect." There was a pause. "What did you want to tell me that you told Silverstorm?" Had Lilyshadow not been so depressed, she would've been impressed and wondered how the ThunderClan leader knew that.

"That I found a camp that none of the other Clans will probably let us have for a Clan that doesn't even trust me..." she responded in an uncharacteristic condescending tone.

"Why?" Hollowstar asked calmly.

"Because every other Clan will think we're going to raid them if we camp in the tunnels, even though StarClan has showed me that that is where we belong!" she hissed, although at nothing in particular; the more she spoke, the more her fur rose.

"No," the leader said slowly. "Why doesn't your Clan trust you?" Lilyshadow blinked curiously in spite of herself. Did Hollowstar not just hear her news about the new camp?

"I don't know..." she sighed. "Because I keep failing."

"Do you?" the older she-cat shot back. Lilyshadow opened her mouth to respond quickly but then stopped herself. Had she done anything wrong?

"Well... I ... I must've..." she stammered. Hollowstar let out an amused purr, and it was all Lilyshadow could do not to roll her eyes. Why was she laughing at this?

"You remind me of someone else I know that wanted to be a leader but doubted herself," she said. "Do you know what happened to her?"

"She became leader?" Lilyshadow scoffed back with a loud sigh. "I know you're just talking about yourself, Hollowstar." The ThunderClan leader gave the black she-cat a very serious look as she turned to face her.

"No," she replied in a stern tone. "The cat I'm talking about lost herself..." Lilyshadow winced and stared on at the scene of cats sitting vigil in front of her.

"Am I going to lose myself?" she couldn't help but ask. The ThunderClan leader didn't reply at first, but then looked away.

"Only StarClan knows," and with that she walked forward towards Lizardclaw's body and pressed her nose to his clay-brown fur. Lilyshadow looked on for a moment then wobbly got to her paws and followed. She slipped into a space between Hollowstar and Berrypelt, leaning down to press her nose to Lizardclaw's pelt. Instead of closing her eyes however, she glanced over at Berrypelt, hoping to see his dark blue eyes open and looking at her, but no - his eyes were shut and he didn't even acknowledged that she had fell in next to him. She clenched her own eyes tightly and tried not to shiver.

_"StarClan, help me..." _she prayed in her head. _"Let them all trust me..." _Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed for air. Her paws, heavier than ever, felt like they were going to fall out from under her, and she wanted nothing more than to just lean over and press her flank against Berrypelt's. _"Let him forgive me..."_


	10. Chapter 9

Warriors: The Cycle of the Night Flower  
>Book 1: Budding Moon<br>Chapter 9

Lilyshadow felt the sunlight glittering on the other side of her eyelids. Her muscles were coiled up tightly as she crouched down, the feel of wiry, dirty fur tickling her whiskers. Her breath moved in and out slowly, the movement almost invisible. Unfortunately, she wasn't asleep - but merely in a state of resting. A paw jousted her awake. She grunted, blinking her eyes open, and struggled to stand after crouching all night. The first streaks of sunlight were appearing over the gorge of the ThunderClan camp, turning the tops of the dens gold. She looked up and recognized Earthear as the cat to have awaken her. He was barely standing, his joints shaking. The other elders were crowding around as well, waking the other cats that had spent the entire night beside Lizardclaw's body. Patterenedflower, Spiritpetal, Snowpaw, and Hollowstar had left sometime during the night. A dead-with-lack-of-sleep Berrypelt rose beside her and his dull, blue eyes were the first things she zeroed in on after the elders had taken Lizardclaw's body away to be buried.

"Berrypelt..." she meowed softly, her voice hardly working.

"I'm sorry, Lilyshadow," he said gruffly, turning his small cream back towards her. "I can't right now..." With that he bounded in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. She watched him helplessly, not finding the energy to go after him. Instead, she hung her arrow-shaped head weakly. She turned, but before she had even taken a step she glanced up to see a fluff of black fur.

"Go get that ear looked at," muttered Stripedshadow softly, his eyes narrowed fiercely as he flicked his feather-tipped tail over her ear that Dirtface had nicked yesterday. She didn't have the energy to argue.

"In a minute," she whispered, from weakness rather than fear of someone overhearing, and glanced awkwardly at him.

"What do you want to do about the tunnels?" he asked her as if reading her mind. Her response was immediate, but her tone was less confident.

"We need to bring a large patrol down there to scout it out. Find some other entrances, to check and see if those crevices can be usable dens, see what kind of prey is down there, if there is any water, and to see how dangerous it is."

"_You _should get some rest. You haven't slept in days it seems," he growled. "Although you're right. I can lead a patrol down there for you." Lilyshadow shook her head.

"No, if I'm going to lead this Clan then I'm the one who needs to the work the hardest," she argued, lashing her tail back and forth. He gave her an incredulous look but said nothing. "But you can come with me. I'll..." She paused. "...I'll need you down there." He flicked his ear at her but otherwise his expression reflected nothing. "I want to take cats down there that I know are behind me... It seems not everyone believes in me to start this Clan. If we I can get some of our cats to be believers -"

"-then you think the others will follow?" he finished for her. She nodded briskly. "I'll collect a patrol while _you _visit Patterenedflower, then. Who do you want to bring?" She thought for a moment, the effort like bees in her brain.

"Just take cats who you know support us... You might know better than me" she replied, her voice on the borderline between sure and unsure. "And...steer clear of others," she added, thoughts of Dirtface and, regretfully, Berrypelt flooding her mind. "Tell Twistedtail. He'll be using some of our cats for ThunderClan patrols." With that, the two black cats nodded to each other and broke off in separate directions across camp.

Lilyshadow dragged her paws through the entrance to the medicine den, her eyes hardly open.

"Ah, Lilyshadow," Patterenedflower purred, making her way across to the black she-cat. "I was wondering when you'd come see me for that ear. Spiritpetal, can you help her with that?" The brown-and-white she-cat looked up from where she was sorting a few piles of herbs, nodding happily before coming over. Lilyshadow gazed at her, almost able to be happy for a moment, as she sat down in front of her. Spiritpetal rose a nose to Lilyshadow who tilted her head down for the medicine cat to sniff her ear.

"I'd say goldenrod for the scratch... Although dock could work... And some oak leaves to prevent infection - StarClan knows what Dirtface has had his claws into!" Lilyshadow's head had almost started spinning after the mention of the first herb, but she blinked approvingly at Spiritpetal. She sounded like a real medicine cat. Patterenedflower meanwhile was purring in amusement at the brown-and-white she-cat's comment.

"Very good," she meowed, turning her long, calico-spotted tail towards the back of the den. "Go ahead and use dock. It doesn't look deep enough to use goldenrod." Spiritpetal nodded and turned to the back to fetch the herbs. Lilyshadow's eyes followed her and she noticed Stoneflight and Snowpaw curled up into dips in the ground. The cream-colored apprentice was fast asleep, but the speckled tom cat seemed perfectly healthy as he rasped his tongue over his chest fur.

"Patterenedflower," Lilyshadow mewed. "Is Stoneflight okay to go on patrols again?" she asked. The ThunderClan medicine cat blinked up from her work.

"Oh yes," she replied. "He's fine. If you ask me, he's just been hanging around here to get out of working!" Lilyshadow let her ears droop with bitter amusement. Did all medicine cats share that dry sense of humor? With that, she gestured him into the front part of the den with her. He blinked up, following Spiritpetal back as she returned with large green leaves, and then another breed of a paler, mistier shade and outrageous shape. She dropped some and started chewing them up. Lilyshadow let her work, and instead turned to Stoneflight.

"I think I've found a place to work as a camp for the new Clan," she began.

"Okaaaaayyy..." he muttered, shifting awkwardly as if he was wondering what this had to do with him.

"It's in some underground tunnels around the other Clan territories," she went on. "I'm taking cats down there today to scout out the area. I'd like you to come if you can." The tom kneaded the ground nervously, glancing anxiously at Patterenedflower as if she would save him from duties. Lilyshadow could understand his weariness about being a warrior again. Before the fight with rogues a while back, he was a good warrior. Of course, he was no Lionfang, but still he worked. Now it was as if he was scared to step on a thorn if he left the medicine den.

"Okay," he said quietly.

"Good," Lilyshadow meowed dully but gratefully. "We can go after - Ooowwwww!" she yowled out as the sticky goop from Spiritpetal's paw came in contact with her ripped-open ear. It stung like ice, so cold it burned, and it made her want to claw at it mercilessly until she didn't have an ear left to burn anymore. "That stings!"

"I'm sorry, Lilyshadow," Spiritpetal purred, obviously trying to hold back chuckles. With a growl, the black she-cat sank her claws into the ground and let Spiritpetal finish her work.

"Actually, Spiritpetal, you should come with us too. You need to see if there are any herbs down there," the black she-cat mumbled through the stinging in her ear. The brown-and-white she-cat blinked then got to her paws when she was finished, licking the remaining gunk from her front paw.

"If I must, I must," she agreed, shaking her pelt.

"Don't worry," Patterenedflower purred good-naturedly. "Thornpaw should be back soon. I'll have plenty of help." The brown-and-white cat nodded and followed Lilyshadow and Stoneflight out of the medicine den. The three made their way to the front of camp where they met Stripedshadow with the rest of their patrol. Lilyshadow swept her eyes over Lionfang, Bearclaw, Stormpaw, Icestripe, Berrypelt, and Dirtface. Her ears dropped at the last two and she sighed, approaching the black tabby at the front of the group.

"What are Berrypelt and Dirtface doing here?" she hissed under her breath, almost glaring at her friend.

"I'm sorry," he growled in a relatively emotionless tone. "Twistedtail's got everyone else busy. Be grateful for what you've got..." She looked taken back for a moment, but then noticed that neither of the toms in the back were paying her much attention. She would just have to deal with it.

They were about to push their way through the bramble tunnel entrance when a regal meow rang out over the camp.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather hear beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" It was Hollowstar. Lilyshadow almost rolled her eyes. Why now?

"We'll wait," she whispered to Stripedshadow and let her patrol sink back in to the throng of cats gathering around the center of camp as Hollowstar stood on the ledge over them, ready to speak.

"There are a few things that need to be done, and the night patrols are just returning so I think things should be said before the morning patrols leave," she meowed, taking her time. Lilyshadow would've admired her timing, had she not been anxious to get somewhere with less cats around her. For some reason the crowd was no longer welcoming.

"Last night we grieved the passing of Lizardclaw - may he find peace in StarClan - as I am sure that is where he is." There was a murmur of gentle agreement throughout the mess of cats, leaving Lilyshadow slightly surprised. The mention of the old, brown tom made her glance through the throng to see Berrypelt's face, but the cream-colored tom's face was unreadable, looking down and lifeless (much how Lilyshadow felt). Her whiskers furrowed sadly and she turned back to listen to Hollowstar.

"But with the passing of one life, another is just beginning. Today is a great occasion, because we all have the privilege of watching a cat becoming an apprentice!" At this, Lilyshadow couldn't help but to perk up.

_ "Hollykit," _she told herself, looking across the camp to the nursery where she sat in front of Pearlnose. Her mother had obviously spent a great deal of time flattening her fur and making it flawless for the ceremony.

"Hollykit," Hollowstar meowed, flicking her tail as she leapt down from Highledge. "Step forward." The small white she-cat stepped forward, obviously holding back her excitement with every pawstep. Lilyshadow could practically feel the pride beaming from Pearlnose's and Foxface's muzzles. What would that be like...? To watch your kits grow up and become apprentices? Or even - warriors? She shook the thought free and watched the ceremony.

"Hollykit, you have reached your sixth moon and are now ready to take on the responsibilities of becoming an apprentice of ThunderClan!" Hollowstar rang out, and Hollykit looked like she was ready to explode. "From this day forth, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hollypaw." The ThunderClan leader paused to let the Clan call out the white cat's new name - to which Lilyshadow joined in. Hollowstar's gaze swept the clearing, until falling on the handsome, silver tom cat that used to be her apprentice. "Silverstorm, you are young, but you display loyalty, courage, and wisdom beyond your years and I believe you are ready to take on an apprentice. I know you will pass on all the knowledge to Hollykit that I passed on to you." Lilyshadow, along with a few other cats, looked on in surprise as Silverstorm stepped forward and touched noses ceremoniously with his new apprentice, and the Clan continued to call out Hollypaw's new name in tradition. Silverstorm? But he had just been made a warrior! Surely Hollowstar should've picked Ghosttail or Mouseear instead...? Lilyshadow wasn't given time to contemplate this, however, because Hollowstar began speaking again.

"Now, there is one more bit of business that needs attending to," the leader went on. At first Lilyshadow blinked with curiosity, then shook nervously as she felt the ThunderClan leader's amber gaze zero in on her among the crowd of cats. Hollowstar flicked her tail tip, summoning the black she-cat forward. "Lilyshadow has an announcement for her Clan." Lilyshadow felt like her paws had sunk into the ground, or were made of the heaviest of stone. She gulped, her throat dry, finding that she couldn't move. She looked up, her icy gaze meeting Hollowstar's, and the white-and-bark-colored she-cat flashed her a gentle "come hither" look as her ears swiveled down towards her. With shaky pawsteps, she weaved forward through the mass of cats and leapt up onto Highledge beside the leader, her legs almost buckling under her as she landed from the pounce.

"You need to tell your Clan your plans for the tunnels," Hollowstar whispered under her breath as she stepped past her.

_"Right..." _she told herself. _"...What are my plans for the tunnels again...?"_

"Cats of the new Clan," she began slowly. The words sounded weird coming out of her muzzle, and for the first time she was annoyed at the word choice that came with not having a name for her Clan. "I think I've found a place for us to live..."

_"Great start, Lilyshadow..." _she growled to herself at how unprofessional she sounded.

"There are underground tunnels that span beneath the other territories, and I think they'll make a good home for us..."

"Underground..._?_" Moontalon exclaimed, and Lilyshadow peered towards the nursery to see her poking her dark-silver head out of the den, the long hair on her ears bristling.

"What do we look like? Rats? Underground is no place for a cat!" shouted Blazetail from the center of camp, his tail wrapped around an intrigued-looking Ashpaw. Calm murmurs of agreement rose up throughout the crowd. At least they weren't hostile.

"I've been in them," Lilyshadow went on, forcing herself to keep calm and subduing the fur that wanted to rise up along her spine. She took a shallow breath, steadying her voice. "The tunnels are well-carved and sturdy for the most part. They're even kind of clean." The mutters winded down to whispers, and all eyes flickered back and forth between Lilyshadow and the cats around them, as if questioning. It was looking a little more promising.

"But aren't they dangerous?" spoke up a voice in the back. Lilyshadow looked. It was Stoneflight, looking skittish at the idea of the staying beneath ground. "I saw Snowpaw fall into them!" This stirred up more meows, and Lilyshadow had to hold back a grunt of annoyance from the wishy-washiness of the crowd of cats. This was quickly replaced by a scratchy feeling in her stomach and throat from her not knowing what to say next, not that she would be heard as she did. It appeared she didn't demand the sort of silence Hollowstar demanded when she stood on Highledge.

"Please, quiet," the ThunderClan leader said calmly, stepping forward to stand beside Lilyshadow on the overhang. The black she-cat felt a sudden surge of heat in her ears at standing above the other Clan cats with an actual leader next to her. "Snowpaw fell into the tunnels through the top layer of earth, with nothing beneath it to keep it stable. It is safer beneath the ground there then it is on top of it. I'm surprised one of ThunderClan's cats hasn't fallen in yet." She made a very good point.

_"They can't fall if they're already underground..." _Lilyshadow thought, perking her ears up. It seems the debate was turning in her favor again.

"Well what about cave-ins?" Lionfang spoke up from the back of the crowd where the other patrol cats were waiting. His voice was more inquisitive than challenging, despite his always-gruff tone. For a moment, Lilyshadow was almost nervous about having a cat who was coming on patrol with her be nervous about its goal. She gulped again, but the words came to her tongue quicker and she stood tall next to Hollowstar as she spoke.

"Yes, those would be a concern," she started. "But that would be what border patrols are for. We'd have to patrol the tunnels frequently to see if we can find any weak points. Once found we can reinforce them. We just patrol our territory like any other Clan." This time she received nods and muffled agreements from both her cats and ThunderClan cats.

"Won't it be dark?" started Cloverfur in a rather worried voice.

"What about prey?" added Adderstorm. Lilyshadow was ready for both questions this time.

"It isn't as dark as you think," she told the orange-and-white she-cat in a matter-of-fact tone. "When Snowpaw fell in, it created a hole in the ceiling of the underground clearing which now lets in light. As for prey... Most prey makes its home in burrows underground anyway. We should be able to hunt plenty." She was almost surprised at how easily the words came to her, and when she had finished talking she turned to look at Hollowstar - as if for approval. The leader gave her an small, almost unnoticeable, nod.

More grumbling spread through the camp, but no one else spoke up with a question, so Lilyshadow went on.

"We'll be taking patrols down there frequently to learn the area and see what is there for us to work with, and get as much ready for us as possible before we decide to move in." She waited, expecting someone to speak up again, but when no one did she softened her stance. "The first patrol for the tunnels leaves now." She turned, exchanging another look with Hollowstar before giving the ThunderClan leader a respectful nod and leaping down from Highledge, making her way through the cats back to the head of her patrol, passing Dirtface and Berrypelt on the way. Looking at the red-and-brown tom, she wondered why _he_ hadn't spoke up to argue against the tunnels. Surely of all cats, he would've hated the idea. Then her gaze fell on Berrypelt, catching the glint of his dark, almost black, blue eyes.

_"Berrypelt..." _Her ears and whiskers drooped, wondering how so much space could be between her and her friend. She squeezed her eyes shut and padded ahead, reaching Stripedshadow and Spiritpetal at the head of the group of cats.

"How did I do?" she breathed in barely above a whisper.

"I thought you did fine," the brown-and-white she-cat cooed, touching Lilyshadow's shoulder with her tail in a friendly fashion. Stripedshadow's emerald stare slicked over her, his whiskers twitching slightly but otherwise with complete lack of emotion. She figured that was Stripedshadow-speak for 'fine' - at least, she hoped.

"Let's go then," she meowed, beckoning her patrol with her tail as she led the way through the bramble tunnel and into the forest.

Lilyshadow led them through ThunderClan territory quickly, but then trekked back and forth along the border for some time. The only entrance into the tunnels they knew of was in WindClan territory. Could they cross over if they were trying to scout out where the new Clan should stay?

_"We are sort of a special case..." _ she attempted to persuade herself.

"What do you want to do?" Stripedshadow asked her in his nonchalant voice, coming up to stand beside her against the border. She just now realized the anxious rustling behind her, turning to watch her patrol. Bearclaw was having an apparently amusing conversation with Stormpaw that Lilyshadow was sure didn't even pertain to their patrol. Lionfang and Dirtface sat quietly, salute and calm but obviously outlined with a touch of exasperation, while Stoneflight sat extra still, his eyes peeled as he looked around. Meanwhile Spiritpetal and Icestripe were on either side of a down-turned-faced Berrypelt in an attempt to get at least a sign of life out of him. The cream-colored tom ignored the words, and Lilyshadow felt her heart yank itself into a knot in her chest. The pang made her force her eyes away, back to the WindClan border.

Stripedshadow was still waiting patiently for a response, but seemed more interested in where her mind was at the time.

"We find a WindClan patrol and ask them to escort us," she replied finally, ignoring his inquisitive look. He shrugged with his feathery tail and began walking down the borderline between the two territories.

They waited for a while, pacing up and down the border. The musty smell of the open moor was beginning to leave a bad taste in Lilyshadow's mouth, like recently bad crowfood. Just when she was about to cross into the territory herself, she caught the familiar scents of WindClan cats, turning and gazing over the moor. The rest of her patrol seemed to spot them immediately after her, and they flagged the WindClan cats down with their tails, not bothering to hide themselves. Technically, they hadn't crossed the border yet. The approaching patrol was comprised of four cats: a slightly-more bulky black-and-white tom, a small brown tom by his side with a white face, a tall, skinny white she-cat, and a familiar hare-brown she-cat. Lilyshadow immediately recognized the black-and-white tom cat as Coppereye, the WindClan deputy, and the brown she-cat as Rabbittail, but the other two were strangers to her, although they seemed to share their Clanmate's cheery disposition.

"Ah, Lilyshadow," Coppereye hummed in his deep, old voice as he led his group of cats up to the border. "What can I do for you?" he asked, letting his eyes scan the group of cats. His whiskers furrowed, and for a moment the black she-cat was a little nervous at the look in his eyes.

_"I guess this is a rather large patrol..." _she thought. _"We almost look like a raiding party." _

"Good morning, Coppereye," she meowed, bowing her head to the deputy. "We think we've found a place to make camp for the new Clan." Her blue eyes sparked to Rabbittail's and the two she-cats shared a brief glance. Had Rabbittail asked for her yet?

"That is good news..." Coppereye said slowly, as if he wasn't following where this was going.

"But we need to go into WindClan territory to get there," she explained quickly, having to hold back the nervous twitching in her tail. The old black-and-white tom tilted his head slightly to the side.

"Just what territory do you have in mind?" he pressed. Lilyshadow swallowed. She was about to lose his cooperation, for sure.

"The underground tunnels..." she muttered out, her ears lowering slightly. She watched as the WindClan deputy's whiskers drooped sadly, his old face looking rather dry and sad.

"You want to make the underground tunnels your territory...?" he asked again, his voice still slow. Lilyshadow couldn't tell if it was from age or concern. She nodded politely and the old tom just seemed to lose more life to his features. "Lilyshadow, I don't know if that's going to happen..." he said in the same tone that a father tom-cat speaks to his kits when something hasn't gone the way they planned. Her eyes washed over his face: the droops to his ears, the splinting of his whiskers, the dull depression in his eyes. She looked over to Rabbittail, who didn't look much different. The WindClan warrior's words echoed in Lilyshadow's mind.

_"Some cats agree with the creation of the new Clan... Things have been changing around the Lake lately..." _

She immediately wondered if Coppereye was also one of those cats who didn't want to fight tooth and claw over the creation of more Clans. If so, he'd work with them right...? She opened her muzzle to speak, but was cut off by the soft mew of Spiritpetal as she padded up beside her.

"This is where this Clan belongs!" she insisted, although her tone was more pleading.

"And just who are you?" the young, white-faced, brown tom snapped. 

"Eaglepaw..!" Coppereye hissed to the apprentice in a scolding tone before looking back up at them.

"I'm the cat chosen to be the new Clan's medicine cat!" Spiritpetal said rather indignantly. Lilyshadow blinked. It wasn't like Spiritpetal to be anything but modest... Was she playing this up?

_"Of course!" _she thought. _"Almost any cat will listen to a medicine cat." _

"You're really the newest medicine cat?" the white WindClan she-cat asked. Her voice was smooth and curious, not hostile. Lilyshadow could tell by her eager voice that she had been made a warrior only recently. Spiritpetal nodded confidently to her.

"I'm Spiritpetal," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Spiritpetal," the WindClan deputy meowed with a respectful nod. "I am Coppereye, and this is my apprentice Eaglepaw. And these are two young WindClan warriors: Rabbittail and Tallfoot," he said, pointing to each cat in turn with his tail. The black she-cat blinked a few times in surprise. Spiritpetal got that polite introduction from Coppereye, a deputy?

_"It's because she's a medicine cat..." _she told herself. _"I'll get that respect when I have my nine lives..." _Somehow, she felt like she was trying to convince herself of that.

"I am confident that the underground tunnels is where this Clan belongs!" the brown-and-white she-cat went on. "StarClan has showed me!" Lilyshadow watched the WindClan cats exchange curious glances.

"At the last Gathering I was told that we had until the next one to decide on a territory and then present it at the Gathering," the black she-cat meowed. "Can't we all decide then?" She looked at the WindClan deputy for a while before he huffed, making his whiskers quiver.

"Very well," he mewed. "Rabbittail, lead Tallfoot and Eaglepaw for the rest of the patrol. I'll be escorting Lilyshadow and her friends."

"Yes, Coppereye," the hare-colored warrior said respectfully, giving a nod before turning with the other warriors. The WindClan deputy began walking forward and Lilyshadow let her patrol fall into step behind him with Stripedshadow in the lead. Her eyes watched the departing WindClan cats and she couldn't stop herself from calling out for Rabbittail before they were out of earshot. The brown she-cat turned on her paws, ears lurched forward towards the black cat.

"I thought you said you were going to ask for me...!" Lilyshadow almost hissed to her, quietly so the other cats couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry!" the WindClan warrior retorted. "It's hard to get Briarstar alone, okay? And he's in a bad mood at the best of times." They stood in frustrated silence for a moment. "I'll keep talking with Coppereye about it, alright? With his deputy up for the idea, I'm sure Briarstar will allow it. Then you'll just have to convince ShadowClan." She guessed RiverClan wouldn't care if they used the tunnels; it would make sense that the underground pathways didn't reach that marshy area of the Clan territories.

"Thanks, Rabbittail," Lilyshadow purred and nodded gratefully to the brown warrior before hurrying off after the rest of her patrol.

Coppereye led them (although Lilyshadow knew the way) to the tunnel entrance that they used last time to retrieve Snowpaw.

"This is the only entrance that WindClan knows of," he meowed. "But there are many others. You'll have to find those for yourself."

"Thank you, Coppereye," Lilyshadow said with a half-bow. He nodded good-naturedly.

"Good luck," he meowed and disappeared off across the moor. Turning to the open earth, she nosed it with her whiskers.

"Let's go," she sighed and pushed herself into the dark tunnel.

It wasn't particularly cramped (she had plenty of room on either side of her flanks) but she did have to crouch slightly to make her way through the darkness in something similar to a stalking position. Luckily it fanned out as they went deeper into the tunnel and she could stand to her full height, still having enough room over her head for a rabbit to stand upright between her ears.

"We'll have to expand the first part of that tunnel," she thought outloud.

"How?" Icestripe squeaked somewhere in the line of cats behind her.

"We dig, duh!" she heard Bearclaw scoff. Her ears folded back nervously in the darkness, unappreciative of the tabby tom's crude, albeit accurate response.

"I guess Lilyshadow thinks we're badgers now!" she heard from somewhere behind her as one of the cats hissed. Her ears darted towards Lionfang's green eyes in the line of cats behind her, then heard the unmistakable snicker of Dirtface. She felt her whiskers furrow and her jaws lock tight with heat, claws scrapping the soft, sandy ground beneath her.

_"Ignore them..." _she told herself, forcing her fur to lay flat before continuing to pad forward blindly. As ridiculous and unlikely as it seemed, this was where they were meant to be. She knew it! _"Ivystrike told me so." _

The patrol marched on in silence. This particular tunnel, as Lilyshadow knew from her run down here to fetch Snowpaw, had only one other path branching off from it. It was Stripedshadow who squeezed himself next to her flank in the shadows to stop her walking as they approached it. This broke her dull gaze which had been starring at her rhythmically walking pawsteps. She stopped, flicking her ears questioningly at him. The black tabby gave her a hopeless glance before pointing to the branching tunnel with his nose, barely a whisker-length from Lilyshadow's own muzzle so she could feel him in the tunnel. She sniffed the refreshing, earthy air that wafted through the stone-dirt pathways then beckoned to her patrol with her tail which was surprisingly waiting patiently behind her.

"A couple of you should go down there and scout out that area," she mewed over her shoulder. She thought for a moment, remembering her pawsteps through this ground before, and realized that this was barely half-way to the underground clearing. _"There shouldn't be much danger down this way... right?" _she thought in her head. "Stoneflight, you and Icestripe go check it out, okay?" She forced herself to put on a polite and request-oriented tone to seem as "likable" as possible. These cats were supposed to be her _best _supporters right?

The speckled tom curiously brushed the opening of the tunnel with his nose, ears flattened nervously. For a moment, Lilyshadow almost felt a pang of sympathy for his fear of the world now, but she didn't get the time to say anything because an eager Icestripe was forcing the other tom down the tunnel like it was the best opportunity he had ever been given. She found herself rolling her eyes. "We all meet back at ThunderClan camp at sunset!" she called after them as they disappeared past the rest of the patrol. Thinking about her words, she picked up the pace as they made their way through the underground territory.

When she pushed herself out of the tunnel into the gently lit underground clearing, the scent of smooth, cool stone and warm earth hit her, the slightest hint of warmth from the outside sun making her ebony pelt tingle. Her paw landed down into the sand that was the floor of the cave and sunk in like a kit nestled up to a queen, comforting between her toes.

_"Does this feel right?" _The words shot through her ears like a bolt of lightening cuts through the sky. Her eyes widened as she whipped around, looking quickly around the clearing.

_"Ivystrike?" _she called out with her mind, sure that it was the starry warrior's voice she had heard. She pivoted again, almost positive she had felt a whisk of smooth dark fur dash past her.

"Does this feel right?" came the words again. She blinked, turning to come muzzle-to-muzzle with Stripedshadow. The black she-cat starred at him for a moment, a dumb expression on her face, before shaking her head as he wrinkled his whiskers questioningly at her.

"Uh..." she muttered off guard despite the confidence she had in the tunnels. "Yes, it does actually." Was she hearing things now? She felt the green gaze of her friend on her pelt as she turned to the rest of the patrol, wondering if he knew she had heard the StarClan cat who haunted her dreams.

"Okay, where do we start?" Bearclaw spoke up first, his goofy grin on his muzzle as usual. Lilyshadow found herself prickly at the fluffy tabby but pushed it, and her thoughts about Ivystrike, down her throat.

"Here," she replied, addressing the whole patrol. "This will be the camp. We need to make sure everything is here." She flicked her tail to the ledges that scaled the farthest side of the cave and the indentions within each of them. "Those will probably make good dens. If they can, they need to be cleared out. Bearclaw, you and Stormpaw can stay behind and check out camp."

"Also check the tunnels around it that don't go too far from the clearing," added Stripedshadow as he stepped up beside her from where he had been roaming on the far side of the cave. "There's a tunnel back there that is smaller and doesn't seem to go too far. We need to find a place for training." Lilyshadow blinked, grateful for his addition, but slightly ruffled that she hadn't thought about the fact that they would need a training hollow.

"The whole ground is sandy!" Stormpaw chortled.

"Yeah," Bearclaw agreed. "It's not like training anywhere is going to hurt us down here!" Lilyshadow opened her muzzle to respond but was cut off by Lionfang who pushed past the fluffy tabby.

"We need an open space without any other rocks or ledges. You don't want apprentices and their mentors slamming into them!"

"Right," she nodded to the dark ginger tom quickly. "Bearclaw, keep an eye out for that. Lionfang, you can take that tunnel over there and see where it leads," she said, pointing to a dark pathway past the would-be dens with her tail. "And..." she paused, looking around. Spiritpetal was already working her way around the clearing, sniffing feverishly. She flicked an ear curiously at the brown-and-white she-cat. The others followed her gaze, finally making the to-be medicine cat look their way.

"I believe I can smell water this way," she cooed. "And where there's water, there's herbs!" This prospect lifted Lilyshadow's spirits slightly, and she was about to send someone to go with her when the other she-cat cut her off. "I can take care of myself, okay?" Spiritpetal scoffed, her eyes blatant as she looked at the black she-cat for a moment. The two shared a glance before she disappeared into the tunnel. Lilyshadow sighed, shaking her head. "Fine..." she muttered under her breath and glanced over the other cats quickly, then at the few tunnels left. There were four, including herself, Stripedshadow, Berrypelt, and Dirtface. She felt her shadowy friend press against her for a moment, looking ahead apathetically. "Go down that tunnel over there," she said, ushering to one in the far corner of the cave. "And take Dirtface with you." She pushed herself to her paws slowly, brushing her muzzle near Stripedshadow's ear to whisper quietly, "And see if you can talk some sense into him." With that she walked past him and came to stand in front of Berrypelt who hadn't spoken or moved from the front of the tunnel they had entered the clearing from. With the only source of light being the sun beam filtering in over ahead and the slight glow to the stone it struck, his blue eyes were a dark navy, barely tinted in the darkness. "You and I can take the other one," she meowed softly, nodding almost sheepishly to the tunnel not far from the one she had directed Stripedshadow and Dirtface to take. _"And maybe I'll finally get the chance to speak to you..."_ she thought bitterly.The cream-colored tom blinked once, not meeting her gaze, and stood up silently. Jaw taunt with frustration and sadness, she turned over her shoulder.

"Remember, be back in ThunderClan camp by sunset," she told them all as the cats parted and began working their way through the tunnels. She entered theirs first, then felt Berrypelt weasel in behind her. The tunnel was large as it was, not difficult to maneuver through, but their lean forms (especially Berrypelt's) made it all that much easier.

They walked in silence for some time. Luckily, the tunnel didn't fork. _"Please, StarClan, don't let it branch off... Keep us together," _she found herself praying in her head. She had kept her voice quiet so far, but her mouth open as she paid attention to the smells of the tunnel, paying even closer attention to Berrypelt's more-than-noticeable sniffing behind her. Was he purposefully exaggerating that sound...? _"He doesn't want to start a conversation," _she realized sadly, feeling her ears start to wilt.

Multiple times Lilyshadow parted her jaws to say something, but words never would come out. Should she ask him to forgive her for something she couldn't control? Or should she just tell him how dead she felt without him?

In the midst of her thoughts, her paws had brought her to a stop and now Berrypelt had pressed on ahead of her, but finally stopped to look back and wait.

"Are you coming?" he asked dully. She blinked and almost felt her paws jump out from under her at the sound of his voice. It was quiet and weak, but it was still his voice.

"Y-yes..." she stuttered, looking towards him in the dark, surprisingly able to see him slightly in the absent of light, and hurried after him.

They pressed onward, and so far Lilyshadow didn't notice anything ultimately dangerous in the tunnel. There were no cracks in the stoned-dirt walls and she hadn't scented any dangerous animals yet, nor had the pathway forked yet. Unfortunately, Berrypelt had neglected to speak again.

Up ahead, the pathway turned slowly. Following it, Lilyshadow surprisingly found herself confronting a branching pathway. Ahead of her were two different paths that diverged off of the one they had been taking, although the one to her right seemed to veer off in a turn quickly like theirs. Just when the depressing possibility of splitting up dampened her already broken spirit, a pitter-pattering made her ears perk up and she instinctively dropped down into a crouch without taking the time to inhale a scent. Berrypelt's ears seemed to match her own and his stance steadied somewhat, but at the same time he hardly seemed to move.

"Who goes there?" she called, voice just a bit edgier than she probably should've meant. Just as she was about to have the common sense to smell, Dirtface's rusty head poked out of the right-side tunnel, followed quickly by Stripedshadow. At once, her muscles uncoiled but Lilyshadow found herself keeping her snarl. "Why do you have to go around scaring me like that?" she hissed at both toms. Neither seemed truly taken back, although Dirtface didn't seem pleased.

"Don't be so easily scared!" he huffed back, lashing his red tail. Had Stripedshadow said this, she almost would've had her mood lifted, but rather she sharpened her already narrowed eyes on the splotched red-and-brown tom.

"The tunnel we took forked one way, but by the scent of it, it led straight into the heart of ThunderClan territory so I thought we could look at that later," the black tabby reported, disregarding Lilyshadow's and Dirtface's previous conversation. She sighed, almost growled, and straightened slightly.

"Fine..." she uttered, not looking at him. "So you kept following the tunnel the other way and it led you here?"

"Obviously," Dirtface retorted, sliding forward past her so his tail could've easily thumped her silver muzzle. Grateful that he didn't, she glared beelines at his back.

"So where does this go?" she thought outloud, following Dirtface's pawsteps in the direction of the left forking tunnel. She felt Berrypelt sulking past her, following her blindly like a kit as he said nothing and merely went through the motions of the patrol. She didn't stop her ears from drooping this time, swallowing a knot in her throat as the cream-colored tom padded just farther ahead as if to avoid the conversation.

"We'll just have to go and se-" Dirtface had his voice cut short in his throat by a sudden rumbling sound that rolled by like thunder if it could happen inside their ears. She let out a screech of surprise, claws uselessly gripping the sand beneath her paws as it fell out from under her. Yowls of ferocity around her rang in her ears from the toms who flailed wildly, blurry to her vision. Her line of sight was so dusty and the pressure around her wanted to just make her collapse right there. Wait... The ground wasn't collapsing under her... She forced her eyes wide and thrashed about, fumbling as clumps of hardened dirt and stone pelted down around her.

"The tunnels collapsing!" she shouted. _"Foxdung! How will I ever get them to believe this place is safe now?" _She barely had time to contemplate that statement before the meows of anguish sliced through the dirty air. The first bit of color her eyes could see in the musty dark was a patch of whirling red. Without thinking, she lurched forward through the falling debris and latched her teeth onto the scruff of Dirtface. With a huge heave she tossed the surprised tom cat aside, flinging him back towards the tunnels they had came from and she was sure she heard him as he was knocked into an already-safe Stripedshadow. Then, her heart dropped into her paws. Berrypelt! She spun around to look for him, darting around tumbling rocks as they fell.

_"It wasn't supposed to be like this!" _she hissed to herself in her head. _"Ivystrike, you liar!" _Lilyshadow cursed as she thrust herself through a pile of fallen dirt just in time to get out the way of a rolling stone that was more than heavy enough to crush her paw. Still shaking her arrow-like head wildly, her eyes finally made out the floundering, cream pelt of Berrypelt as he skittishly dodged rocks.

"Berrypelt!" she gasped, the sight of him strangely brought her to a sudden halt. Among the falling dust and dirt, both cats stopped and looked at each other, blinking for a moment before their glances darted around them. Lilyshadow's eyes widened in fear as the earth-stone ceiling of the tunnel began rippling more. Locking her muscles uptight, she sprang forward and barreled into her friend, sending them both tumbling forward as she felt the wreckage rain down around them.


End file.
